


High Garden, Bye Garden

by Coraleeveritas



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-03
Updated: 2013-10-05
Packaged: 2017-12-17 14:32:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 73
Words: 87,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/868645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coraleeveritas/pseuds/Coraleeveritas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the asoiaf kink meme, the prompt was as follows 'Her fathers sets her up on a blind date and she's mortified when she finds out it's Hyle, despite his claims he's changed. To make the night even more embarrassing, Brienne spots Jaime, her annoying (and good-looking and occasionally nice) business associate in the same restaurant'</p><p>One sided Hyle/Brienne, mainly  Jaime/Brienne</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> So this is yet another ongoing modern AU, a bit of fun and unbeta'd again so all mistakes are mine. I just hope I filled the original prompt adequately.
> 
> Nothing belongs to me, I'm just having fun messing with the characters

Brienne's hands were sweating and shaking as she gripped the wheel of her car, waiting for the oncoming traffic to cease before she could turn into the parking lot of what looked to be a very nice restaurant indeed. She honestly couldn't believe that she was following this promise to her dad through, a blind date would be bad enough if one of her few friends had set it up but her dad had proved again and again that he had the worst possible taste in men. He had tried to set her up three times already, all while she was in college and each time was worse than the last. When she had finally landed her dream job at Stark Industries she had ended up far closer to home than she thought she would be and that brought with it the problem of her father still seeing a teenage girl in front of him and not the twenty four year old woman she now was.

If she had wanted to date, she thought there may actually be a tiny chance that she was capable of following that inclination through. Or in truth, the Stark's eldest daughter would have followed that through on her behalf. The fact of the matter was that there wasn't anyone in her tiny social and work circles that warranted those kind of feelings, especially since Renly had left to get married to another man. And that whole shambles made her realise that she seemed to have inherited some of her dad's skill at  
picking out potential boyfriends. 

Maybe Jaime, she thought, and she had to stop herself before that half formed idea went too far. That way only led madness. 

Jaime had shown up in her life several months earlier, the son of media mogul Tywin Lannister, and was currently tasked with firming up the links between the two family companies. He had been at times the bane of her life, causing her to go home on a couple of occasions and just cry at all the crap he'd managed to push her way. Her job was hard enough without having to work overtime to please the golden boy. 

However the last few weeks he had actually been occasionally nice enough to warrant one of her rare smiles. The fact that his visits were now several times a week instead of once or twice a month meant she thought she may be half way to not hating having him around. After his third visit that week, each time insisting on talking to her for more than a couple of minutes, even if it was only to distract her from whatever was on her screen so much that she had been completely flustered afterward and forgotten her next sentence, she was honestly starting to believe he had some kind of hand in her recent promotion. 

It was all very confusing and not because he was attractive, she had noticed but it wasn't something that she thought would affect her that much. Although it hadn't been missed by others, his visits would have the predominately female office in giggles for hours afterwards. 

Not that Brienne giggled. She left that to the dizzy little girls on reception who didn't look past Jaime's face and arse.

She tapped at the wheel again as the never ending stream of traffic whizzed past her, wondering if she could legitimately still turn around and stand up whomever her father had picked for her this time. But that would mean breaking her promise and about half a dozen traffic laws, which wouldn't have sat well with her moral code, so she had to follow this through. If her stomach hadn't still been nervously churning around the two bite lunch she'd swallowed many hours earlier, she may have at least gotten a nice meal out of the evening.

As the traffic thinned, Brienne reluctantly made the turn that would take her one step closer to whatever fun her dad thought she was missing out on. He always seemed to forget that she was quite happy with the fun she was already provided with. Training for a triathlon may have been hard work but she adored it and there was no doubt in her mind that she would have preferred to be in a pool right then instead of trawling nervously for a parking space.


	2. Two

The car keys jangled in her hand as she locked her car and strode towards the restaurant, stuffing them in the pocket of her jacket to prevent the slight noise causing her nerves to tense with each step. As she reached the already open door Brienne thought she spotted a familiar scarlet red sports car sitting by the entrance, but in this town filled with Lannisters and Lannister employees there were an awful lot of red sports cars flying around. It wouldn't help her to read anything into it.

"Welcome to High Garden. How many are in your party?" an overly friendly blonde girl greeted Brienne, her mind going blank as she stared slightly open mouthed at the dark haired guy who was visibly lounging in one of the booths.

"I'm... I'm..." she knew that she should say that she was meeting someone but after seeing that nasty blast from her past she wasn't sure she wanted to stay.

"I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well. I need to leave," Brienne managed to get her message across to the hostess, who very kindly smiled in response, and turned to head back out to her car. Which would have worked had she not walked smack into a solid chest.

"Careful there", a familiar voice met her ears and she had never wanted the floor to open up as much as she did in that second. The car she'd seen outside did in fact belong to exactly the same person she'd suspected it did.

She forced herself to look down, meeting laughing emerald eyes for a moment, before realising she had her open palms neatly resting on Jaime Lannister's chest.

"You need to watch where you're going Brienne, one of these days you'll walk into something dangerous."

"Sorry", she mumbled, scrambling back a couple of steps to knock into a server carrying two, thankfully empty, trays back to the kitchen.

"It's just not your night is it?", Jaime asked as the trays hit the ground with a loud metallic clang, not quite mocking but definitely on the way there.

"That's why I'm leaving", she told him, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.

"So soon? We haven't even ordered yet", Hyle Hunt's voice carried across the open space behind her and Brienne tried to repress the shiver that he produced in her. She got a concerned glance from Jaime for her troubles, a genuine look that almost seemed out of place on his features.

"Do you two know each other?", Jaime asked, though his words were directed only at Brienne.

"Of course we do. Though it's been a while", Hunt answered the question and Brienne felt Jaime's eyes leave her face momentarily to focus on the man who was speaking for her.

"How long's a while? I don't seem to remember seeing your face on any of Brienne's photos"

"Five years. We went to college together"

"How nice for you", Jaime's eyes were back on her, dismissing the shorter, darker man with one phrase.

"It was actually. So nice in fact that we're actually here on a date tonight", she saw Hunt offer her his arm, a gesture that was uncharacteristically chivalrous if going off his past behaviour.

"My dad set it up", she explained to Jaime with a rueful grimace.

"And I've been looking forward to it for days", Hyle interjected, waving his arm under her nose, "Our table is waiting"

"You don't want to keep your date waiting", Jaime waved her away, the emphasis on his words sounding off, "I'll expect that report on circulation figures first thing tomorrow so don't stay out too late"

"I wasn't planning to", she spat back at him, her annoyance at the situation working to briefly overrule her embarrassment. 


	3. Three

"Don't... What... How... Why...?", Brienne had a dozen questions in her head as she followed Hunt to the huge green leather booth, all of fighting for control, but not one would come out fully realised.

"I haven't started anything yet", Hyle grinned, beginning to guess answers to her half spoken questions, "I thought you would be happy to see me, your dad mentioned that you hadn't had a date in years"

Out of choice, Brienne thought, glaring at the still smiling man seated across from her.

"I know we didn't leave it in a particularly pleasant place the last time we met and for that I am sorry. You don't have to believe me but I do regret what I was involved with"

So you should be, Brienne thought, once again keeping her true feelings hidden in her head as she considered how long it was necessary for her to stay on this farce of a date.

"How have you been?", he leaned across the table, reaching for her hands and she quickly shrunk back against the solid wood separating her from the customers in the next booth.

"Fine", she told him, moving her hands under the table, looking anyway but at Hyle in case he got the wrong impression from her flushing face.

"I hear you're working for the Stark's now. That must be interesting"

"I don't work for the Stark's, I work for Catelyn", her response was practiced, subconscious by that stage, the words have being repeated to anyone who tried to persuade her that the job she was currently doing benefited the less than savoury members of the Stark family.

"Still, interesting", his grin was back and although she was still feeling sick to her stomach, there was now a part of her that wanted to punch that stupid grin right of Hyle's face. 

Brienne caught a flash of gold out of the corner of her eye and forgot to come up with a satisfactory retort that would explain her loyalty to Catelyn Stark.

"Who is he and why is he more interesting than me?"

"No one", that answer was easy, if she couldn't explain her loyalty then she certainly couldn't explain her relationship with Jaime.

"No one is awfully pretty", Hyle snarked and the battling urge to hit him or run away reared it's head again in her gut.

"I...hadn't noticed", she stumbled over the words, hoping he didn't see the obvious white lie.

"Sure", Hyle replied, sounding like he couldn't have believed her less even if she had told him the sky was really pink and clouds were cotton candy, "Should we order then? Now that you're not being distracting by no one"


	4. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has commented, read or left kudos on the start of this.  
> Sorry the chapters are so short, but it does mean I'll probably be updating at least once a day until its done.

Their waitress was an unconventionally pretty redhead, who ran through the specials so quickly that Brienne found herself asking the girl to repeat the list, if only to buy a little more time that she didn't have to be alone with her dad's idea of a good man.

"How do you know my dad anyway?", Brienne asked carefully, after she put in her very specific order with the redhead. If she was going to pay all that money for food she may or may not end up eating, the kitchen was going to get it right. Looking down at the hands in her lap she suddenly found the ragged edges of her fingernails throughly interesting, trying to tidy up the mess as she avoided any unnecessary direct eye contact.  

To be perfectly honest she hadn't even entertained the idea of Hyle paying, though taking in his earlier almost gentlemanly behaviour she expected there was probably going to be a fight when it came to pay the bill.

"Does it matter?", Hyle asked, breaking through her thoughts, "I must say he really likes talking about you though. You're like his second favourite subject after baseball"

Brienne blushed again, a tiny streak of happiness settling in amongst the continued embarrassment at the knowledge her father may have been even just a little bit proud of her.

"Are you warm?", Hyle asked as she looked up sharply at the sound of the kitchen door creaking open, he gestured at her face and she knew she must have turned almost the same scarlet colour as Jaime's car. The emphasis on it doing nothing to reduce the burn that spread across her cheeks. Had her tongue been quicker she would have had a response before he spoke again.

"Because if you are, I'm sure they can sit us somewhere else", Hyle glanced around at the scattered empty tables, the restaurant relatively busy for a weekday evening. "I mean there's a table right by the door..."

He trailed off and she followed his eye line, to where Jaime was currently meeting the fabled trust-fund raised Tyrell siblings. They were massively important clients for both the Stark and Lannister corporations, Brienne only having the pull to meet the sister once, in an elevator, and they hadn't said a single word to each other. 

Though the way the pretty brunette was looking at her now made Brienne think she hadn't been overlooked that day. There was a few words exchanged between her and Jaime and the next thing Brienne knew they were standing at end of her table.

Brienne forced herself not to move away from the situation, finding a calm place inside that only came from months of slowly reducing fear at meeting new clients. She felt Hyle watching her every reaction, almost pushing her into making an error and she really didn't like the feeling it produced inside her.

"Margaery Tyrell", the pretty girl stuck out her hand and Brienne had to surreptitiously wipe her own down before she took it.

"Brienne Tarth"

"Brienne's the new head of marketing at Stark Industries, though she's rather quiet about it", she wasn't sure if she was imagining it or not but there appeared to be a very small smile on Jaime's face as he took in the sheer distance between her and Hyle.

"I'm not quiet, I'm..."

"Inconspicuous?", Hyle offered, trying to pull the focus of the conversation back to him.

"Taciturn", Jaime prompted and there was definitely a smile the second time.

Brienne rolled her eyes unconsciously, feeling a strange relaxation run through her in his presence, "Did you swallow a dictionary for dinner?"

"They don't serve dictionaries here, didn't you read the menu properly?", his response was sharp, much faster than hers would have been, which was one of the many reasons he had originally got under her skin at work.

She heard Hyle cough, once, twice, and she turned back to the person convention ruled she should be paying attention to. 

"I think you've taken up enough of Brienne's time tonight", Hyle addressed Jaime and something unsaid passed between the two men judging by the look she caught the end of, "Don't you think about anything other than work?"

"Unfortunately it appears I don't have as much free time as you"  

"It gives me chances to set up things like this", Hyle reached across the table and she heard Jaime's low chuckle at the slide she performed to escape her date's grasping hands.


	5. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It appears that I may have an almost unhealthy attachment to AU versions of Margaery Tyrell. Although she wasn't in the original prompt, I've tried to fit her in as best as I can.

"I have...to go to the bathroom", Brienne announced to no one in particular, scrambling out of her seat as quick as her long limbs would allow her to. 

How Jaime anticipated her need to exit the deteriorating situation she didn't know, but he neatly manoeuvred Margaery out of the way, hands at her elbows almost lifting her off the ground and out of the path of retreat. Brienne shot him a quick half smile in recognition of the act of kindness, though it was likely he didn't catch it from his vantage point between the siblings.

She deftly avoided two waitresses overloaded with plates of food as she made her way to the rest rooms at the back of the restaurant. She was pretty sure the second teenager was carrying in what she had ordered, and despite her apprehension about where the night was headed, Brienne's stomach rumbled in complaint as the smell of seared meat hit her. But the door to a second of solace was now in front of her, all it would take was a simple push to open and she would have a chance to momentarily disappear. Balancing her options, Brienne thought the food could wait.

As it was she barely had time to splash a handful of cold water on her face, allowing herself a quick glance at her current state of shock in the polished mirrors, neither of which were improving her homely features, when a slight knock made her jump.

"Are you ok?", the Tyrell girl's voice twinkled clearly, even through the solid closed door, "Jaime asked..."

Brienne threw open the door before the sentence could be finished, most of her not really wanting to hear what Jaime had asked.

"I'm sorry", she told smaller woman slowly, feeling bad enough to avoid her shrewd gaze, "It was rude of me to leave like that"

The brunette shook her head, impossibly shiny hair fluttering down her back, "I ambushed you and from what I've been told I should have expected that you'd be uncomfortable" 

From what she'd been told. Brienne thought it was a funny turn of phrase, as unless Margaery had been talking to Catelyn Stark directly there was no one else she was aware of that knew her well enough to judge her flight or fight responses.

"I should..." she pointed out at the tables and was greeted with a nod.

"It's just one evening you know", Margaery told her perceptively as they walked back to Brienne's booth, steam now visibly rising from where the waiting plate had been left, "I can't count the number of hours I've had to spend with people that I didn't like" 

"It's just...", Brienne paused, trying to fit all her pain and insecurity into one sentence, "He's not what he seems"

"None of them are", the brunette promised.

Brienne suddenly felt the creeping tendrils of suspicion tighten around her bones, "Why are you being so nice? You don't even know me"

Margaery grimaced at being caught out, the ugly twitch not even putting a dent in her perfect face, "If you're half as good at your job as Jaime promises, I want your help. It's all in self interest. Sorry"

The brunette let out an almost nervous breath of laughter and Brienne found that as there was no audible deception in her voice, she couldn't not believe the ulterior motive. 

"Make an appointment and I'll see what I can do"

"He said you were amazing"

The blood that had been finally flowing back to all it's correct circulatory spots, rushed back to her face with a vengeance. 

"He...didn't...say...", she fumbled with her vocabulary at the surprise praise, Margaery only sending back an unreadable look.

Jaime was still standing by the booth when the girls arrived back, locked in a growling war of words with Hyle. As Brienne went to take her seat, the blond man leaned in close, and for a second she thought bad bad thoughts that shouldn't have left the privacy of her dreams. His breath was unforgettably warm at her ear as he simply told her, "I'll see you tomorrow"

 

"You must be one hell of a marketing manager to warrant that kind of attention", Hyle laughed darkly at her as she speechlessly sat down opposite him, Jaime having whisked the clients away, and she suddenly felt rather grateful for Margaery's pep talk. 

He continued, the laughter dying in his voice, "Not everyone has two of the richest family's around trying to take her away from a decent meal and good company"


	6. Six

Hyle snapped his fingers under her nose and Brienne jumped, the spell of silence cast on her simply by Jaime's ridiculous closeness now broken. She had been remembering the other time he had been that close, having been accidentally pushed up against her in the elevator about ten days ago during the lunchtime rush of staff leaving the Stark building, staying like that as they travelled all the way down the twenty floors to ground level. To say it had been uncomfortable would have been an understatement Brienne wasn't overly fond of small spaces to begin with, and she was even less enamoured with crowded small spaces. To make it worse Jaime had stood and smiled almost knowingly at her as they descended, one hand set against the wall just behind her hip anchoring him to the spot.

Though if she hadn't know any better, Brienne would have said that tonights move had been deliberate.

"Do you mind if I start?", Hyle asked as she blinked widened eyes a few times quickly, clearing her mind of all nonsense, "I would hate for this to go to waste because you're having more fun living in your head"

She swallowed hard before she spoke, allowing herself a few seconds to think about anything else than her earlier stupidity, "Go ahead"

"Only if you join me", Hyle grinned, "If I'd wanted to eat alone I wouldn't have accepted this very kind invitation", he gestured at her plate, "Eat"

Brienne picked up her fork and stabbed at the salad garnish decorating the side of her steak, the smell coming off the perfectly cooked meat tantalisingly delicious. But she decided stubbornly that she wasn't going to let Hyle see her enjoy herself, even if it was only because of the food, and easily picked around it.

"Did you forget you'd turned into a vegetarian when you ordered that?", he asked, noticing how and what she was avoiding.

"No...I'm just not hungry", Brienne stabbed at a piece of tomato so hard it burst, her fork hitting china with a loud unpleasant noise. Her stomach protested against her words immediately, the growl so loud she was sure the people in the next booth could hear it.

"Are you sure that's true? Or maybe you're just hungry for something else?", it was an innocent enough question, even coming from him, but when Brienne raised her head momentarily she could see the suggestion in Hyle's eternally laughing hazel eyes and raised eyebrows.

She should have shouted, should have made any kind of fuss but the memories of the bet he and his friends had on her during her freshman year of college were still too painful to think about. Dean Tarly had them suspended just before the long summer vacation, and when Brienne came back for sophomore year the three of them were gone.

She dropped her fork, an unwanted flood of panic trickling through her veins as Hyle went to open his mouth again to hopefully apologise for his innuendo, if he had indeed changed as he had promised. The sound of a bird song laugh caught her attention at about the same time as the anxiety hit and Brienne tried and failed not to notice the sound coming from where the Tyrell's and Jaime were eating.

"You're just as clumsy as I remember", the dark haired man told her, forgetting his salacious gesture to ask a passing waiter if he could please bring his friend another set of cutlery, as she watched the blond converse with what could become the first shared business for the proposed linking companies. 

Sansa Stark, who Brienne was almost friendly with, had started calling the venture Lannistark, which Brienne was finding increasingly difficult to get out of her head as she suspected neither Catelyn or Jaime would probably appreciate the moniker.

"I would like to think that it's my presence making you act like that", Hyle smiled slowly as she flicked her gaze back, his face making her think of the way an unsuspecting predator would stare down prey, "But we both know that wouldn't be the whole truth"

He didn't wait for her to even take a breath in protest before he continued on in the same tone, "Excuse my manners, I didn't ask if you wanted anything stronger to drink than water. Red or white?"

There was no conscious thought to her response, Brienne knew he could bring her anything in the bar and she still wouldn't drink it with her car outside. 

"Red"


	7. Seven

"... and if the numbers are high enough we should be able to... Jaime?", Margaery shot him a withering look that made clear she knew exactly when he had stopped paying attention to her carefully planned pitch. 

"We should be able to work with that", he murmured back, tearing his gaze away from the stupidly distracting glimpse of straw blonde hair he could see peaking over the top of the cushioned wood panelling running along the side of the booths. The Tyrell's could be the signing of the century if he could keep them on his side, it had been one of the few things his father had trusted him to do and he was now most likely messing it up because of the bloody Stark's ugly pigheaded marketing manager being about ten feet away from them. It wasn't as if she was really suited to either aspect of the job, she wasn't social or articulate enough to even consider sitting in on client meetings like this one, though from what he'd seen she did have a way of organising and motivating her young group of overeager staff. And with the money her department's ideas were currently pulling in, well maybe it hadn't been such a bad move to recommend her for the promotion.

"If you want to go and get her, I was planning on discussing all of this and more with Brienne later on in the week. If she's here today it'll actually save me some time", Margaery did all the talking he noticed, her brother not doing much but taking mental notes. The whole family was matriarchal, he knew the grandmother ran the company and she was obviously training her granddaughter to take over at some point in the future.

"I wouldn't want to intrude into her date night", it hadn't been a lie when he thought it, but speaking it out loud there was an actual twinge of something unpleasant inside him, the words coming out deep and growling. 

The fact that someone who looked like Brienne had such things as date nights should have made him laugh, but there was very little mirth to be had from watching her blush and squirm under the eyes of the little dark haired man.

Jaime noticed that the pretty brunette across from him was now pursing her lips, eyes narrowed in a calculating way that made him realise he was never going to really understand women.

"You were saying?", he pushed the conversation back to her, letting financial endeavours once again fill his head. Not for the first time he wondered why he had been sent on this assignment, his brother would have been better suited to the daily tedium of office work though his sister  would have tried to take Margaery's eyes out for possibly being prettier than her. 

"The projected numbers are showing a significant rise quarter on quarter...", she started, trailing off as Jaime's attention was taken away from the pages of spreadsheets again, this time by a loud metallic clang. 

He was out of his seat almost before he could stop himself, fists clenching as he tried to work out whether Brienne had just had made another clumsy move or if the little prick she was with had forced himself on her and she'd retaliated by stabbing him with a fork. The idea made him smile a little, he knew the huge woman could take care of herself without any help so it really was a mystery to why he was so intent on stepping in the way.

A river of surprising relief ran through him as he saw that Brienne was still where he left her, scarlet faced and tongue-tied from the looks of it, the possible boyfriend laughing but still no physically closer to reducing the uncomfortable gap between them. 

"Do you have an assistant I can call to set up another meeting?", thankfully Margaery sounded amused rather than annoyed which meant he hadn't totally screwed the deal up. Yet.

"Her number will be on the card"

"Mr Lannister, I wish I could say it's been a productive meeting but...", Margaery shot him another look from which he couldn't tell if she was studying or pitying him. "I think it's best we wait until all the correct parties are in the same place before we continue"

Jaime stood and shook her politely extended hand, cursing whatever twist of fate decided that he needed to think about spending anymore time with the Tarth woman.

"If you don't mind a little advice before I leave Jaime, jealousy will always be an ugly emotion"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's read this and left comments/kudos (sorry I haven't responded as yet), but I'm so pleased that people are reading and enjoying it.
> 
> I'm working on the basis that there'll be nine or ten chapters before I end this fic.


	8. Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A double update today :)

When the red-haired waitress had eventually made her rounds to clear away the plates from their table, Brienne was ready to go home and eat the contents of her tiny fridge. Partly in celebration of the fact that Hyle had not seen her happy for even a second and partly because this waking nightmare had led her to crave food in any way, shape or form. 

As she was coming up with recipes in her head, wondering if she had finished the tub of chocolate ice cream she'd bought last weekend, she felt two pairs of sharp watching eyes on her face.

"Was everything alright with the food? We can bring you something else if it wasn't right", the waitress actually looked worried, as if she had somehow been the one to persuade Brienne to leave an expensive steak untouched.

"It was fine, my friend here is just a little nervous", Hyle answered for her, and Brienne had to take a deep breath in case she said or did something she would later regret. She was already in a deep enough hole as it was without letting anybody else see her in it, Jaime and the Tyrell's were more than sufficient to make sure she would never hear the end of this mess at work. Brienne could hear the whispers already in her head, all of them starting with 'poor girl'.

It had been a good choice she thought, as if she hadn't been focused on calm breaths she definitely would have lashed out at Hyle's next grinning anecdote, "Tonight's our first real date"

"Oh", the waitress looked between the two of them and whatever she saw there led her to offer him a small smile in commiseration, as if she felt sorry for whatever bet he'd lost to be lumbered with the giant, monosyllabic unattractive young woman opposite him. 

If Brienne hadn't been currently riding the emotional roller-coaster of exasperation and self-consciousness she might have laughed at the irony of that look. The waitress would have had no idea that not so long ago taking the homely girl out would have almost been the hand that won the bet.  
    
"Do you want me to get you a desert menu, or should I just get the cheque?", there was definitely a pitying edge to the her voice now and Brienne hoped they could just pay the restaurant for what she hadn't eaten as quick as possible so she could leave. There may be some tears to come later, but that could wait until she was safely behind a couple of locked doors and the screen of running hot water.

"No, I think we'll take a look at the menu. I'm in no rush to go just yet"

"I don't need a menu", Brienne spoke as loud as she could manage without giving in to further mortification, "Can I just have a coffee please?", it would give her something to do, something to hide behind for the remaining half hour or so before she could call her dad and tell him never to set her up on a date again. If Hyle Hunt was the best this town had to offer then she would be quite happy to remain an unattached woman.

"I didn't take you as one who would fall into a stereotype so easily", Hunt told her as soon as the waitress was out of ear shot. "Water, salad, coffee? Are you on a diet?"

Brienne let out a laugh at that, a genuine noise of bewildered hilarity that such a thought could even have entered his mind. He smiled genuinely back at her in surprise, all smugness gone for a second and she realised how nice it was to be looked at without any sort of hidden feeling or agenda. It rarely occurred with only really her father, Sansa or, oh god, Jaime coming to mind. 

If she actually allowed herself to think about it, the blond man had recently developed a habit of sending her half glances of pure emotion when he didn't think she was looking. Brienne had caught one or two, the best being the almost pride shining in his eyes when she had managed to say more than six words in a row during a staff meeting. 

She chanced a glance over to Jaime to find his table empty, a couple of empty glasses the only sign anyone had even been there.

"He left ten minutes ago. I thought you would have noticed"

"I don't... I wasn't... I wouldn't", she stumbled over her words again at being caught doing something wrong.

"You look at him as if you haven't seen the sun in months. But don't worry", Hyle moved too quickly and suddenly his hand was on her arm, "You'd look at me like that too if you gave us a chance"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the ending but its likely there'll be more tomorrow (dependent on my work schedule)


	9. Nine

If Brienne had been thinking clearly, or even at all in that moment, she would have realised that there were a few sensible options available in order to disentangle and get away from Hyle’s accusations and clasping grasp. Although all of them would involve words she didn’t currently have the ability to speak or actions she wouldn’t have felt comfortable using in case it drew even more attention to their booth. If she could have clicked her fingers or wriggled her nose and disappeared she would have done, but her life wasn’t a fantasy sitcom and the hold on her arm was too real for this to be a vivid dream that she couldn’t wake from.

So it was for that reason the only thing Brienne found she could do was voice the one simple denial that flew to her lips as if it had been waiting all night, maybe all day, all week, for a chance to be heard.

“I don’t… I mean I’m not”, she shook her head to back up her words as if that could clear the mocking answering echoes that felt like they were reverberating through her very heart and soul, the effect of which was making her want to throw up the little she had eaten earlier on that day. Pulling away, no less harshly than she had intended to, she tried not to shrink into the corner of the booth as Hyle’s hand fell to the mock wood finish table. Fighting against the stabbing pain behind her eyes and the fever beginning to burn under her skin, Brienne pushed her way to the edge of the long cushioned seat towards what hopefully would signal the end of yet another mess she hadn't meant to get herself into.

She was expecting a quick response, something that would make clear that her faltering phrases were showing that she was protesting too much or that if her words were true and honest then he was worth forgiving, worth giving a second chance. Brienne could forgive, she had no problem with the concept and had obtained her revenge for the boy’s stupidity a long time ago, but she would never forget.

“I think”, she blinked hard focusing on the solid wall to her back, the table in front of her and the ground beneath her feet as an anchor to strength her growing resolve, “That it’s time for me to leave”

“I’m sorry”, Hyle actually sounded genuinely apologetic for overstepping his boundaries and coming into her closely guarded personal space. Though that regret didn’t stop him from trying again as she scrabbled out of her seat and into the stretch of open space between the neat arrangement of booths and tables.

“You know you’re too good for him, right?”

She hadn’t considered that but the fact of the matter was that it wouldn’t be of any significance even if she was. “He’s not interested”, Brienne snapped and the tears came then, drops of fuming flustered frustration that beaded and traced their way over rapidly disappearing freckles and red hot skin. She thought the salt water may evaporate as it came into contact with her cheekbones but the escapees kept running, allowing gravity to speed up their decline as they dripped off her face and onto the floor, to be forgotten as soon as they fell.

“It seems that sentiment is going around”, Hyle's voice was hardly a murmur but it was a shock to her system anyway. Brienne wanted to ask if he blamed her after their shared history but found that she couldn’t get past the idea that he may have some sincere attachment to her after all. 

It was beginning to appear as if she was all but fated to keep falling into these unrequited situations over and over again, still wondering why it could hurt so much that she felt she had to hide her burgeoning feelings until someone called her out on it. Jaime had guessed the Renly thing almost straight away and here Hyle was reading some deep recess of her mind that would have liked the Lannister man as more than a friend.

Brienne did the only thing left to her by turning to leave and almost in the same movement, had to take an overspilling coffee cup from the blonde who had originally greeted her. The hot water stung her hands but it was a welcome distraction from everything else she was feeling.

"I'm fine", she told the girl before making her way out, "No damage done"

 

Myrcella Baratheon set down the half empty cup, watching the tall woman depart and wondered where the hell her uncle had gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't ever take my guesses at how many chapters my fics are going to be as correct (I said ten with this one and it will be a few more now) :)
> 
> Myrcella's been aged up here, she's around 17 with Jaime/Cersei being mid to late thirties to keep the age difference with Brienne in tact.


	10. Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to everyone who has been reading and encouraging me to post more. As this was already basically written when I posted the last chapter, take this is as a thank you for your continued support
> 
> (I do think I'm getting off prompt in places but there is a little more to come, depending on how much I write it may even be a few more chapters)

Jaime had thought that a properly strong drink would have silenced the whispering voices in his head, left no doubt by Margaery Tyrell's completely ridiculous observations, but it hadn't entirely worked the way he'd wanted it to. The alcohol had only amplified the unwanted things running marathons through his thoughts, the memory of Brienne's astonishing blue eyes widening as he teased her mercilessly, the heat coming off her skin as he had moved slightly closer than she would ever allow on a normal occasion and the freckles that trailed across her face and neck to disappear tantalisingly behind high collars. 

The images sprinting around in Jaime's head weren't new but like every time they'd appeared before he couldn't help but feel they were somehow wrong. He knew it was completely inappropriate for him to be almost fantasising about a girl who he had more than ten years on, and that wasn't even taking into account the fact that he had to work with her at least three days a week now or her general outward appearance and sour demeanour, but she just wouldn't go away.

He wondered how far down the slight freckling imperfections dusted her as he drained the glass, the familiar burning sensation at the back of his throat momentarily giving him something else to think about. 

The idea of her dinner partner tonight already having that knowledge, never mind him being allowed to find out anything more interesting, made Jaime throw down the empty glass so hard it nearly cracked on contact with the bar. He had much older stuff at home that would hopefully work better than cheap whiskey to numb the night away.

As he wandered outside to get some air before even thinking about attempting to drive home, he forced himself not to stare into the window of the adjacent restaurant, forced himself not to look at the wench who had once again appeared to ruin a perfectly fine day. 

Only it was as if his mind and body were acting as separate entities, finding himself unable not to glance through the frosted glass. High Garden was still over half full with lovers and family's alike, but his gaze settled quickly on the sight of an unfortunately familiar dark haired man sitting alone staring at a half full coffee cup and a spreading dark stain.

His brother would have called him reckless if he could have seen what was about to happen but Jaime wasn't thinking anymore, it was a need that propelled him forward, a need to find out what disrespect had been thrown at Brienne when he'd left her behind.

He made sure he commanded attention as he walked purposely over to the half empty booth, not hearing the vague protestations called out from the girl on the front desk, "I don't think we've been properly introduced. I'm..."

"Jaime Lannister. I know, you're famous", the younger man shot him a rueful smile as he offered him a hand. "Hyle Hunt"

Jaime stared down at the friendly gesture until Hunt realised the other man wasn't all that interested in becoming anything more than one-off acquaintances. As his hand fell back to  the table again, Jaime pointed at the Brienne shaped gap.

"What the fuck did you do to Brienne?", he surprised even himself with the unspoken threat playing out in his voice.

Hunt's response was light, meeting the challenge on the air in a unique way, "I can assure you I did nothing. If you knew her at all you'd know that sometimes things just happen"

Jaime picked up on the tone, taking a seat as Hunt finished talking and pushed the forgotten china across the table as he folded his legs in underneath him.

"I can get them to bring you a menu if you're planning on sticking around"

Jaime smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Hunt leaned over, dropping his voice though most of the words were lost as the kitchen doors flung open Jaime still heard enough to jump to his feet.

"Uncle Jaime!", a shout turned his head a second before his fist connected with Hunt's face. 

Myrcy. He had forgotten his niece was working through her teen rebellion stage by taking a job in the service industry. The hard look on her face reminded Jaime far too much of his sister as he inched away from Hunt. 

She handed him a bag of ice with a more appropriate sweet, apologetic glance, "Her car's still in the parking lot"


	11. Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems I just can't stop writing this (I only wish the same could be said for my other AU WIP)
> 
> Hope you enjoy! :)

"What do you want now?", Brienne spun around to face him as she heard  footsteps on the Tarmac, her face flaming as expected though Jaime noticed that under the dim streetlight there were now tracks glistening from her eyes to her chin. It was the very first time he had seen her, the wench, completely vulnerable and although it went against whatever better judgement he had, which wasn't really saying much, there was a sudden ache in his gut that made him want to step closer than close to offer whatever meagre comfort he could.

Jaime saw her freeze as he stopped just shy of an arms length away, offering her a surrender by holding up the bag of ice that his niece had passed him. "I like my head where it currently is thank you, so I'd appreciate it if you could lash out at someone who isn't trying to help you"

Bloody stubborn girl, he cursed inwardly as he watched the defiant blue flame in her stunning eyes crackle and die under an almost probing gaze. She held the contact longer than he'd been expecting, and although it was probably only seconds Jaime found that there was a slight possibility he wouldn't have minded just looking at her ridiculously mismatched face for longer if he'd been allowed to. The whiskey must have been stronger than he had thought to bring on stirrings of that kind, though the slight thudding in his chest wasn't being joined by any of the other tell tale signs he remembered from the last time he'd been drunk.

Brienne coughed, her face knotting in both confusion and concern and he remembered the unusual task at hand, handing over the gift from Myrcy. Even in the half light he could see the angry welts springing up over Brienne's palms as she reached across and before he knew it he had her hand rested in his own.

She let out a shocked gasp as he ran his thumb over her knuckles, her eyes bigger than Jaime had ever seen them, mouth falling open as he surveyed the damage.

"What did I say about walking into something dangerous?"

"I wasn't looking", she admitted quietly, a shiver running through her and into him as Jaime moved both the soothing cold and his thumb again, finding that her skin was a lot softer than he'd imagined.

"You never do", the note of affection wasn't missed and she turned her head away to stare at anything but the man holding her hand.

"Was that your boyfriend?", Jaime pulled her gaze back, leaving an unwanted uncomfortable pause before the last word. The anticipation built on his tongue, waiting and waiting for Brienne to deny what had been going on in front of his very eyes.

She snorted, a half sob half laugh in her current state, and Jaime let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. 

"He wishes", Brienne handed back the plastic bag that was almost all water now with a look that said she didn't know why she was about to tell Jaime Lannister of all people something personal, "My dad thinks I need to get out more"

"If you weren't such a humourless mute    in social situations I'd be happy to bring you along to more client meetings", he paused, realising that was exactly where she should have been. "Wait, am I doing part of your job for you without even knowing it?"

She glared at the mocking tone in his voice and he grinned back, delighted he had somehow managed to pull this all around to a more familiar place.

Brienne prickled beside him at the insinuation, "I don't need your help at work"  
   
"Without it you'd make the rest of us look worse than you already do", Jaime's brain didn't wait for the compliment to sink in before further hidden thoughts slipped the barrier of his lips, "I don't like him. The not-boyfriend I mean"

There was a second of silence before she responded, and he almost had to check Brienne was still with him and hadn't ran away, "Believe me neither do I"

Something about her tone made him realise that wasn't exactly what he meant. 

Brienne was studying the pebbles on the ground when he turned his body back to her. Falling back on instinct his hand rose and settled on her cheek, the damaged one that intrigued him more than it should, and he felt her tense as she raised her wary eyes. 

Jaime brought his head in close enough to allow his breath to ghost across her skin on the way to her now quivering  lips. 

"I don't like him being with you"


	12. Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay, I think I've been spoiling anyone enjoying this with double daily updates, but its been very difficult to get this reading right. (I'm thinking now eleven should have been the last one and just to have left it with an ambiguous ending). Though this one is about twice the length of all the previous chapters. I only hope my writing of all the kissing isnt becoming too repetitive.

It was a strange thing to be remembering, Brienne thought, as Jaime's hand traced across the scars on her ruined skin, but even the realisation of the absurdity couldn't stop the thought once it had taken a hold of the rational parts of her mind. 

A few days before Jaime had been sent on assignment to Stark Industries, sauntering into her department and life as if he had always belonged there, the entire office had been advised that it would be better for everyone involved if a professional distance was maintained at all times.

It hadn't bothered Brienne at the time, and not for long time after, especially when she had learnt of Jaime's history of making questionable decisions but she had no appreciation for the recent thinly veiled warnings from Catelyn Stark about inappropriate friendships. 

Though, if she actually took the time to think about it, the bad blood between the Stark and Lannister families probably had been a bigger influence on the company wide memo than any part Jaime had played in the hostile take over of Targaryen Enterprises.

That sliver of rationality was rapidly disappearing now, being taken over by finding there was simply no room for anything else in that moment, not when his eyes were glinting like she had suddenly become some kind of revelation and his lips were being held only a hairsbreadth away from hers. Tomorrow she'd allow herself to think that it was stupid of him to try it, yet another questionable decision, even more stupid for her to discover that  not only did she want it but her hidden need for him was finally being screamed out with every pore of her body. Whatever else happened, however else this would affect her, she prayed that fate could finally give her one perfect moment to savour.

Brienne had next to no experience of these kind of situations, having only had the total of two kisses ripped from her during her college years, but this was far from forced. Jaime was waiting, not all that patiently if his softly caressing fingers down her face and neck were anything to go by, for her to be the one to close the barely visible gap between them, proving that somehow every heated exchange over the past few weeks had only been leading to this night.

She hesitated for probably a second too long, the nervousness surrounding her youth and inexperience weighing heavy on her, and although she felt Jaime frown in concern she couldn't see it from behind her closing eyes. However that tiny gesture provided her with all the encouragement she needed, pressing her lips to his and throwing her arms so tightly around his back she couldn't tell where she ended and he began. 

It wasn't appropriate giving everything else they shared but his soft skin against hers felt more than right, the hand on her face moving and tangling into her hair as if somehow there was a way for them to be closer than they were right now. 

Jaime tilted her head back slightly, giving him a better angle for his languid pace, each and every touch a slow burn that flickered and set her nerves alight. He wasn't all fierce desire as she had been expecting, his need more controlled in reality as if he was trying desperately not to mess up and scare her away.

It was Brienne that kept making the mistakes, her chapped lips missing her target just as much as they found it, her clumsy embraces landing at the corner of Jaime's mouth, the soft skin of his cheek and the rough graze of stubble at his chin. If she was doing anything wrong he didn't seem to care, a rumbling growl flying through the air as he moved to cover the column of her neck with similar firm but gentle touches. By the time Brienne had her hand in his hair to pull him back up to her waiting mouth, every second they spent together adding to her growing confidence, he had his hands splayed over her lower back, fingers teasing up the material of her shirt to find the untouched skin beneath.

It was too much, too fast and even though Brienne knew that, clearer than she knew her own name, the shock of his calloused hands and the night air against her uncovered flesh made her sigh in an entirely lady-like way. Jaime smiled against her skin, the emotion contagious as her mouth fell open in indication of a laugh that never materialised, his tongue pushing past the barrier of lips and sneaking into the warmth.

It was an odd but not entirely unpleasant feeling, Brienne's instinct taking over to touch, feel, caress the wanted intrusion, a part of him inside her. The way he tasted reminded her of the smell of tension in the air right before summer rains, warm and sweet but with enough of a promise that something else was just around the corner, the bitterness of whatever he had been drinking mixing in to give her something that was distinctly Jaime.

Whatever she had imagined, this was all of that and so much more. 

She sighed again as his hands slipped up her back, Jaime groaning in return and pressing up against her. Brienne's eyes flew open at what she felt and it was then that the hold the lust had on her evaporated and the fear that just as strongly took it's place made her tense even as the man in her arms continued placing electricity along her skin for a few moments more until he too stopped.

It suddenly struck her why his visits had her department in giggles as he pulled away because when he looked like that, lips parting to take increasingly heavy breaths, pupils huge in the dim light and hair mussed seductively, then there simply was no room left for coherent thought, especially when Brienne realised no one but her that had got him to that state. 

She was matching him breath for breath, neither of them really ready to move more than a few steps away or let go as his fingers still moved under her clothing, hers surrounded by the silk of his hair. Her next laugh escaped into the cooling air now her mouth was hers again, Jaime's eyes lighting up at the sound of it, the realisation running through her that this embrace was exactly one of the ways an actual real date could have ended. 

"Have I got your attention now?", Jaime's voice was about as low as she had ever heard it, a sound that set off an excited spark deep inside her gut despite the fear that followed, the rush of the ocean to extinguish the fires of need. 

Truly, if she had known or even had any inclination he could be interested in someone like her then there would have been no need for her earlier embarrassment with Hyle.

Her voice was wrecked when she finally spoke, falling back on old sensibilities as best she could. "I think you've held it enough for one night"

Jaime only looked slightly disappointed as he nodded, as if reading the odd combination of fear and want written across her bright burning skin. She felt she could have lit up the city with the extra heat from how warm she currently was.  

"Jaime?", she questioned with a slight quiver in her voice as he stumbled gracefully towards a cab at the far end of the parking lot, "We're not just friends anymore are we?"

"I wouldn't know, I've never had a friend like you before", she was granted the briefest of brilliant smiles before he was kissing distance again . "Go home", he told her after his lips had brushed against her cheek, "Get some sleep and don't over think this like I know you're about to. I need you on top form tomorrow remember"

He crashed his mouth to hers again, a drowning man clinging to safety, and then he was gone, Brienne left wondering if whatever he had awoken in her boiling blood would prevent her from driving home.

And if tomorrow he had somehow forgotten, alcohol or shame re-writing their unspoken fevered mutual appreciation for each other, then at least she'd had one night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There'll be at least one more chapter of normal length to come 
> 
> Comments will be loved and adored
> 
> Although not strictly related, I am having major trouble with ...Butterflies so if there is anyone who has been reading it, has some spare time and wouldn't mind me bouncing some ideas off them I'd be hugely grateful. I'm contactable through http://jaimebrienne.org where my user name is exactly the same as here. Thank you :) :) :)
> 
> Quick update: Thanks to everyone who has contacted me about the fic. I am in awe of the support in this fandom. I've decided to take some time away from writing ...Butterflies for a while. I've got other things that are more organic to write (2 fills for the ficathon one smutty, one AU) and more one shots to eventually get around to. I will finish Butterflies off but I'm not sure when.


	13. Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for all the comments on the last chapter. I want to hug all of your kind words and continued love and support for this story.
> 
> I hope no one minds this is taking on a bit of a life of it's own beyond the original prompt, so there will be at least one more chapter as this resolves absolutely nothing (it probably means I do have an issue with letting things end though :))
> 
> I hope you enjoy and thank you again

Brienne's answering machine blinked angrily at her as she stepped into the dark of her modest apartment. It had been a very long day indeed but it wasn't exactly a regular occurrence for her to come home to multiple messages even if she had been away for a week. 

The first was a reminder about an upcoming dentist appointment that she'd had in her calendar for months, the second from her dad hoping she'd had a nice time on her 'date'. She could almost hear the air quotes in his voice but Brienne smiled anyway, running a fingertip over her lips that still tingled slightly from their earlier activities. However it was the third that stopped her dead in her tracks, half way to starting to tidy up her front room before heading to bed.

"I forgot to say goodnight, so goodnight Brienne", there was a pause in Jaime's voice as if speaking her name was a new but exciting concept to him, "How do you take your coffee? Other than all over yourself I mean, our first meeting's been pushed to eight", another pause stretched out when she hadn't answered, "Never mind. I'll just have to guess"

The machine beeped and she broke out of her stunned silence long enough to hurriedly press the delete all button before she could talk herself into playing the message again. His voice in her apartment felt odd, almost an intrusion into her safe little space where she'd never even thought about inviting any friends into before.

Her brain was whirring but her body was simply too tired to take much notice anymore, the warmth of her bed calling to her. As soon as Brienne's head hit her pillow she was away, off to what ever dreamworld beckoned to her from behind closed eyes.

 

Although she would never admit to it, Brienne actually took more time than usual in the morning to dress and prepare herself for the day ahead. Her first meeting, the one that had been kindly pushed almost two hours early on short notice, was with a representative of the Greyjoy family and if past experience had taught her anything, they were just about the most difficult name on her roster. The daughter was the most competent of them all, and Brienne actually liked Yara's no nonsense approach, but at the less than sociable hour it was likely she would be dealing with one of the others. 

And Jaime.

In front of the bathroom mirror she watched the pink spread across her cheeks, not quite having forgotten what they had done in a dark parking lot merely having pushed it into a locked part of her brain to revisit when she had enough time to think it over properly. After all her postage stamp of an office was no place to be daydreaming like a silly teenager, not when there were brochures to finalise and numbers to pull up for the Tyrell's.

Her Blackberry beeped insistently as she pondered over the lip balm Sansa had given her for Christmas, leaving it on the windowsill as her senses returned to her. There would be no kissing today  thank you very much, she told herself as she retrieved not the company Blackberry but her personal cell phone that was now practically screaming out for attention.

The message flashed up on the screen and the ancient thing almost slipped out of her hand in surprise. 

YOU'RE LATE

If the only things going through her head hadn't revolved around thinking how on earth had he managed to find out both of her numbers in less than twelve hours then Brienne would have realised that she still had at least an hour to spare. 

As it was, the panic produced from those two simple words had her in such a rush to collect all her things that she nearly tried to fit her toaster into her bag instead of her laptop before she was out the door.

 

The Stark building was still dark as she reached the entrance, realising that the only people in the vast lobby were the night-watchmen and her one time kissing partner.

Jaime Lannister once again had a lot to answer for.

He handed her a hot white paper cup before he even spoke, the word 'Wench' written in neat script along one side.

"Professional Lannister", she muttered, taking a swig of the offered caffeine despite his attempt to disarm her, "My name is Brienne"

"And mine's Jaime", the elevator binged and he gestured her in before him with a wave and a wink, "You remembered that last night"


	14. Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly can I say sorry for not replying to all your gorgeous, encouraging comments. What with work, life, and figuring out if feasibly I can fill half a dozen prompts at the ficathon I've had my hands a little full. But I hope regular updates to this, and my other stories into J/B worlds, make up for it.
> 
> Secondly this is now so far away from the original prompt it should be it's own story.

"I've got a surprise for you", Jaime told her as he followed Brienne into the spacious elevator, gracefully moving around her to end up with his back against the main panel so she couldn't see which floor he had decided they were heading to.

Brienne made a face in silent protest behind her cup, raised to her eyes as she rapidly swiped at the less than complimentary nickname he had felt the need to broadcast to the world, or at least their small corner of it. His use of it was almost overly familiar she thought, certainly insubordinate given her new role and that wouldn't go down well with anyone in her department.

"I don't know why you're trying to remove that", she felt Jaime watching her twice over, his form reflected in the mirror behind her, and she wished the drink in her hand was somehow wider to cover every emotion she was likely to give away under his scrutiny. "The struggle I had getting it on there in the first place warrants a little recognition I think"

"If you had got my name right then...", Brienne replied, the rest of her thought being cut off as she glanced up to see that they were currently fourteen floors higher than her office and still climbing. "Where...?"

Jaime anticipated the question, interrupting as he leant back against the wood finish and smiled, "Trust me"

That concept was easier said than done given all she knew about him, especially if she added whatever details he may or may not remember about their encounter last night, so as soon as the elevator finally signalled their destination Brienne hurriedly moved away from the forced closeness and careered straight into the Board of Directors reception. 

"How much trouble are we in?", she asked Jaime with a sigh, feeling like a teenager being called into the principals office, not even bothering to look back at the likely grinning man behind her.

"I don't know what you mean", she heard the amusement in his tone and steeled herself for whatever trick he had planned. "I only came to show you this", the pat on her shoulder was almost a caress and despite herself she turned into him.

"You've made the wall"

And so she had. 

It would have been easily overlooked in passing but still clear as day if you knew where to find it at the bottom of the company noticeboard. The tiny silver capitals sparkled against the chosen shade of grey so dark it sometimes appeared black, Head of Marketing: Miss Brienne Tarth.

She found that she didn't want to stop the smile that tweaked at the corners of her mouth as she traced the letters over the glass. In her experience  surprises usually meant something bad was right around the corner but this unexpected occurrence produced not a single one of those familiar apprehensions. 

"I tried to find you yesterday but you'd already left for dinner", Jaime's words were far stronger than was entirely necessary following his earlier mocking demeanour, the last one becoming a deep bass rumble reverberating in Brienne's ears.

She glanced at him quickly, then back to the board, wondering if there was any small possibility that their first kiss hadn't also been their last. Though at that moment, thankfully, stronger feelings were ruling over her tongue.

"How did you even manage to borrow a key for here?", Brienne paused as she realised borrowed might not have been the correct word, "You didn't steal it did you?"

"Of course not, do you take me as some kind of common thief, wench? It seems Jon downstairs is a big NBA fan and I happened to have a couple of court side tickets"

"You bribed a nightwatchman", she shook her head at him in disbelief, her strange nervousness disappearing.

Jaime shrugged, "It seemed like a good idea at the time"

It could almost be romantic she thought as they stood in a barely comfortable silence to watch the sun rise and play hide and seek with the high rise structures over the city. Could be if she had been a different girl at a different time, not a gigantic freckled one drinking perfect rapidly cooling coffee from a wench cup.

"Greyjoys", Jaime pointed at the tiny blobs moving towards the main doors hundreds of feet below them, breaking the reverie. He offered her a hand but she pretended to ignore it.

Jaime sounded bitter or annoyed or something when he spoke again, "Off to work we go"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awkward chapter to write but that seems ok with how awkward most of these exchanges should be.


	15. Fifteen

"Did you manage to get Pod through his presentation?"

Small talk wasn't something Brienne had ever been comfortable with but she  was almost grateful that Jaime had decided to break the heavy silence hanging between them, the elevator ride back down to the lobby taking a relative eternity to fall though still covering several floors a second.

"I thought you were there", she began carefully, trying to gage his ever changeable moods as it sounded to her like he was just talking to be heard rather than actually having any care about the wellbeing of her youngest staff member. It could be said that Pod was even less suited for this life than she was, but he was smart, honourable and loyal and Brienne would always value those qualities above any shown by other more power hungry applicants. 

Jaime shook his head, eyes straight ahead as if transfixed by the ever decreasing counter, gold strands escaping from where they had been trapped behind his ear and as Brienne stupidly kept sneaking glances at him her fingers itched to push them back to where they belonged.

She remained where she was though, stubbornly fixed to the spot, "He only stammered a few times"

"You must be a better teacher than we thought you'd be"

"I told him to....", the plural in Jaime's phrase was so out of the ordinary that she nearly blurted out one of the silly secrets to her success before realising how it could sound in the seemingly constricting space. 

"To what? Come wench, I may some day myself need to fall back on the freshness of youth to act as a helpful bolster before a big talk. Spit it out"

As he still wasn't looking she closed her eyes counting down the remaining floors in her head, the half lie coming almost too easily, "Breathing exercises"

"Liar"

Jaime sung out the word and she flung open her eyes in nothing less than pure irritation to find him trying to loom over her, failing as she pulled herself up to draw attention to the inch or so she had on him.

"I'm not", she heard the pathetic comeback almost echo around the space, hearing a dozen mocking voices all with Jaime's inflection laugh at her increasingly flustered state.

"Sure", he agreed, cocking his head as if that angle gave him some kind of sudden special ability to be able to read her mind, "Then why can't you look at me?"

"Itoldhimtopicturetheaudienceintheirunderwear", she didn't even leave a momentary pause between each word, hoping that Jaime wouldn't actually be able to make sense of her mumble, "And a lot of breathing exercises. Are you happy?"

His returning smile told her he'd understood every syllable, "That actually works?", he ran a quick but appreciative glance over her and Brienne suddenly felt very exposed and wondered how twenty seconds could feel like a lifetime. 

"I would have thought that would have been distracting"

She took a pause for breath, "Not all of us have our minds in the gutter"

Jaime laughed, "Maybe you're not quite as innocent as you seem"

"Excuse me?"

"You thought I was there. You", he pointed at her lips of all places and she tried not to back down, "thought I was there." The repetition was as tentative as Jaime ever got but his tone was definitely heading towards something pleasant. The word elated came to Brienne's mind but she pushed it away quickly.

"Brienne?", he asked and she noticed that she had progressed beyond wench in record time this morning, "Have you been checking me out?"

She shook her head slowly, attempting to sneer at his knowing look, hoping her heartbeat wasn't quite as loud as it sounded in her ears. "And why would I want to do that?"

Jaime took a step toward her, his fingers prodding at her shoulder, "You kissed me back. Twice if I'm remembering right"

Thankfully the elevator doors creaked a little as they opened and Brienne quite literally leapt away from  
Jaime's touch before the always miserable Greyjoy brothers could work out what the pair had been considering. Though one look at her face probably would tell them that it wasn't anything to do financial incentives.

"We'll continue that discussion about our mounting problem later Miss Tarth", Jaime promised before easily switching gears to shake hands.

Brienne thought that she might be only at the beginning of the longest day of her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just let me know if these updates are getting too quick, ok?


	16. Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's more :)
> 
> Hope you enjoy it

   
The Greyjoy meeting was just as long and as tedious as Brienne had been expecting, neither one of the brothers quite happy with any solutions that were offered in response to their concerns. She had to continually remind herself that taking on this account personally had been as a favour to Catelyn, the family’s still occasionally having some difficulties seeing eye to eye after the Stark’s had all but adopted Balon Greyjoy’s youngest son years earlier.  
   
The Greyjoy's were of an isolated older generation, the ideals of the island of Pyke not sitting so well on the mainland and Brienne knew they had little respect for her or the position that she recently obtained. She wondered if it was their attitude that had led to Yara rebelling so spectacularly.  
   
Although it would hurt her pride to admit, it was beyond disconcerting to have them watch her as she raked through her files, looking for their contracts, the feeling of being inspected making her clumsy and in her ungainly haste she managed to knock over her now empty cup. The brothers shared a look at Jaime's written attempt at hilarity and as she sat back down after taking over the documents they addressed her jokingly in the same manner.  
   
Wench.  
   
Brienne seized her discarded pen, knowingly brandishing it like a weapon before Jaime’s hand tightened around hers in an effort to get her to loosen her grip.  
   
“Gentlemen, we are all professionals here aren’t we?” Jaime did an unnecessary scan of the room as his grip loosened, the tenseness going to his voice instead, “I assume you know that it is in your best interest to keep us on your side. So when you are addressing my business associate show her the respect she deserves and call her by her name. Call her Brienne”

Needless to say the meeting hadn’t gone on much longer after that, the Greyjoy’s gathering up the posed resolutions to excuse themselves with curt nods and limp handshakes well before Jaime’s dangerous simmer could turn into a boil.  
   
“Do you want to go and get some lunch?” he asked as if it was something they did every day after the clients had left, having only reluctantly given back her hand moments earlier.  
   
Brienne glanced down and frowned at what she read, “It’s only ten-forty-five and I’ve got work to do”  
   
“Later then”  
   
   
“His lordship wants to see you in his office”, the mousy girl Jaime had brought with him to act as his assistant stood in the doorway of the taller woman’s tiny room as if too nervous to enter, though not so nervous that she hadn’t made a joke at her boss’ expense. The apologetic smile that wobbled across Pia’s face timidly tried to hide her insecurities surrounding the unenviable task she had been delegated after Brienne’s continued dismissal of email invites all afternoon, “He told me to tell you, and I quote”, she paused and Brienne thought that she may have been fighting the urge to roll her eyes, “If you don’t get your butt in gear then I’ll just have to come down here and drag you out“  
   
Brienne highly doubted his language had been that polite and she also thought there should have probably been a ‘wench’ in there somewhere, but Pia was either too nice or too nervous to repeat exactly what she’d been informed to pass along.  
   
“Are ten minutes really going to kill him?” Brienne muttered as she checked the clock on her computer, her intention always being to only pay him a visit after her working day was done.  
   
“Apparently so”, Pia smiled, hovering until the other woman logged out and reluctantly followed her down the corridor. “Would you mind if I took a look at your availability this week?” the smaller woman questioned as she led the way, “Only Margaery Tyrell is coming in and she asked to see you specifically”  
   
“Mornings are better", Brienne replied with a small smile at the conviction the heiress had placed in her, "But any day would be fine"  
   
"Great. I'll let you know when she's confirmed"  
   
   
Jaime’s door was propped open when she got there, alone now, Pia having left to duck behind a desk as she collected belongings before the nightly exodus of staff would prevent her from getting home at a reasonable hour. Brienne knocked, sharp but civil since she didn’t feel wholly comfortable enough just to barge in there despite the rather rude summons.  
   
His voice practically purred out at her, “Close the door and come here”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've borrowed the last line from a Storm of Swords, because, well because it's so deliciously ambiguous here. Also I appear to have pirates on the brain with Brienne's ode to (Captain) Jack Sparrow in almost every Pirates of the Caribbean film.


	17. Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nothing is as it seems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual none of this belongs to me, and I've especially played with canon events here
> 
> Thank RoseHeart for this, she asked for a third chapter today

“I thought I said to close the door”, Jaime didn’t move an inch from the corner of his, much larger, office where he currently stood preoccupied by the television news story Brienne couldn’t quite see properly. He waved a hand in a casual manner as he heard her stop dead in her tracks, the scarlet red carpet underfoot surprisingly noisy for something that looked so soft. “Don’t worry; I’m not interested in attacking you in here. However competently you kiss, wench, I’m not going to risk my job for a second bite at the cherry”, he turned and grinned playfully, “Unless that's why you came”

“So what kind of emergency took twelve emails and a verbal threat from your assistant to get me in here?” Brienne asked, knowing that irritation was a far better emotion to settle on than embarrassment, as honestly there may have been more than a tiny part of her that had been hoping for some kind of physical contact.

“I needed your eyes”, Jaime had turned back to the television screen and she gave up fighting with herself to wander further into the room. It was obvious it had been redecorated recently with the Lannister family in mind, the shining red and gold hurting her head a little with the angle of the afternoon sun exploding off everything. Jaime was just as golden too she noticed, radiant though obviously concerned as he bounced the remote control in his hand off his chin repeatedly. 

She noticed the files at his feet which he must have removed from storage at some point during the afternoon and, in typical frustrated Jaime fashion, strewn them haphazardly across the table and on to the floor.

"What were you looking for?", she whispered to herself as she took in the pile of contracts and agreements, not recognising even half of the names.

"Proof that this isn't somehow my doing"

Jaime pointed at the screen and only then did Brienne see the headline that sent an icy finger down her spine.

Breaking News: The King in the North is Dead: Stark Massacred in the Polls

“They’re calling it the Red Wedding of all things”, Jaime told her, turning up the volume so Brienne could hear for herself the developments that he had been trying for the majority of the late afternoon to get her to understand. The funny thing was if he been straightforward without any of the suggestion she would have been there in a heartbeat.

The newsreader shuffled her papers, her voice pleasantly calm as she began to speak, “An alliance of Lannister, Bolton and Frey has just been confirmed as the reason why the young state senator will not be serving a second term in office. Reports coming direct from The Spider have informed us that there has been an insider within Stark Industries working on behalf of the partnership for several months”

The Lannister in the heart of Stark territory turned his head to her, and Brienne couldn't help the murmur that escaped. She had never been the nurturing type but she suddenly ached to wrap her arms around him at the lost look on his face. Brienne didn't know if he would expect her to comfort him, but her hand was halfway to his shoulder before she had time to pull back.

"I'm not worthy of your pity", he snapped as her hand found it's target but she only squeezed down harder at his protest, not really knowing how to physically express that none of this was from pity.

"Real friends don't pity each other", there was no shame, no discomfort left  as he met her gaze. "Do you honestly think I'd believe The Spider?"

Jaime smiled, and it was as if he lost years off his face with the momentary gesture, resting his cheek on her hand. "I guess I better pack up here before I'm escorted from the building"

He was barely two steps away from her when Brienne muttered disapprovingly, "I didn't think you were such a coward"

"And I didn't think you were such a girl", he was in her face now looking as riled up as she felt. If there only had to be one thing Jaime Lannister was good at, it would be pushing all of her buttons.

Brienne held his gaze for the briefest measure of time possible, feeling electricity crackle between them before she looked away. 

Jaime mumbled something that sounded distinctly like 'screw it' and had his mouth to hers before she could even voice a single syllable. 

Maybe she should have closed the door after all.


	18. Eighteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't say thank you enough to everyone who is sticking with this and to all of you who have left wonderful comments. The enjoyment this seems to be producing, even if it is now so past the original prompt it's an entirely different story, is making me smile like a crazy person everytime I'm notified there's a new comment. I really can't say thank you enough and will continue to update regularly.

It had been a long time since Jaime had felt anything close to what he was currently experiencing. Longer than he would care to admit and certainly less often than Brienne would probably believe.

Brienne. 

Jaime had tried to ignore and dismiss the idea that any time spent with the ridiculous blonde girl had become one of the best things about the days he was with the Starks, but if he was being honest with himself there had been a couple of days he'd shown up just to see if he could wind Brienne up to a point where she would get his favourite exasperated look in her eyes. It was one of a few she had that always made Jaime think she was about two seconds away from trying to kill him or in the last few days, maybe take a risk and kiss him instead. 

The former had always been the more probable option and he guessed he probably completely deserved it at times, but there was no denying he was enjoying the latter a hell of a lot more.

She was now sighing in his arms as if he was the first person to have ever had the inclination to kiss her so throughly, the idea that even Hunt hadn't seen her like this sending a spike of something hot and dangerous through him. It struck him as he matched her sigh with a noise of his own, that if last night had been wrong then on the same scale this crushing embrace was rapidly pushing into the area of forbidden. Though he was rather pleased she as yet hadn't thrown him off, allowing him to act on baser instincts and doing exactly what he had promised he wouldn't. 

It wasn't an attack, not really, not when she had closed those astonishing blue eyes of hers and almost melted to him after the surprise had left her face. One kiss had become two, four, ten, every one a challenge that Brienne simply wouldn't back down from. 

He was almost drowning by the time she had found the courage to move her hands from his shoulders, finding some grace to at least momentarily overcome her clumsiness and attempt to devour him in kind. Her tongue swiped tentatively across his lower lip, unsure she was properly replicating his move from yesterday, but he had no care for correctness, not now. 

For some reason, seconds after her tongue had ended up in his mouth and he had coaxed her into discovering a perfect rhythm, the thought that at the time she was born he had already been a teenager made him pull away, Brienne looking at him as if she'd done something horribly wrong.

"Did I? Am I not...?", she couldn't even bring herself to finish her sentences and Jaime found himself stepping in.

"Far from it"

She looked at him solemnly, the illusion of control shattered by her huge eyes, flushed skin and overly kissed swollen lips. Strands of the straw coloured hair that she was unsuccessfully trying to grow out were escaping her tiny pony tail and all in all Brienne looked so wild in that moment that Jaime thought if he'd have been ten years younger he might have considered pushing her to the wall or the floor to try something even more exciting.

"What are we going to do?", she asked, the hitch in her voice audible.

He grinned, knowing what she meant but wanting to see her squirm one more time before they left the safety of his office, "Well you can take off your shirt and we can continue", there was a breathless quality to his voice as well he realised.

She crossed her arms over her chest but he simply stared at the expanse of freckled flesh he had managed to uncover without her noticing. Brienne looked down and the blush that stretched from the indication of slight cleavage to her face was worth a hundred lost kisses. 

"How did you...?", she muttered and mumbled as she refastened the three buttons Jaime had managed to pop.

"You were a little preoccupied. It seems that you like me"

"I do not"

"You like parts of me at least", he grinned again and the colour on her skin came up a shade darker, "I think I may even have some bruises tomorrow from where you were gripping. I'm not as young as I used to be you know, you've got to be careful"  
  
The answering whisper that slipped her lips silenced the little voice in his head that sounded exactly like his father. 

"You're not that old"

"So you'll come to dinner with me then?" He knew he had set up that trap for her to walk into, but Brienne didn't notice his leading attempt to get her to move and only glared for a couple of seconds before responding.

"I'd rather just order something in, if you still need my eyes"

Jaime nodded, guessing that one day soon he would need more than her eyes, but today that would be enough.


	19. Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another big thank you to everyone who has been reading
> 
> Today's second update :)

As Jaime left to see if he could make enough sense of Pia's filing system to find the menus he knew she had hidden, Brienne stared at the empty space left in his wake and wondered if there would ever come a day when her default reaction to direct attention wouldn't be to blush like a twelve year old.

Of course she had never before had to deal with the kind of attention that Jaime had just paid her, quite possibly as slowly as he could manage in the moment, she had clearly heard the little groans he had made as they kissed. No, she correctly herself sharply, once would have been a kiss, the two minutes they had clutched at each other pushed it firmly into make out territory. 

This would be where having a close female friend might have been beneficial.

Brienne contemplated sitting on the floor, sinking into the luscious red of the carpet and making herself as small as possible until her hands stopped trembling and the heat under her skin burnt itself out. But that would have been the response of a younger woman and highly hypocritical of her to act like that, in here of all places where she was usually her best self, when this whole thing had started because she had been fighting against her father for so long to get him to treat her like an adult.

So instead she sat down at the mess on Jaime's table and tried to work out exactly why he had pulled half of last quarter's records out and how he got them back upstairs without being questioned. It was the first rule drilled into her by her old manager, files must stay in the basement at all times.

"So what's the link then?", Jaime breezed back in and placed the coloured cardboard in his hand on the table. "They were under 'd' if you're interested, I'm thinking for dinner"

Brienne pushed them away, continuing to read the complicated legalese and more importantly refusing to look at him in case it broke her composure, "You know the phrase a needle in a haystack, well this is more like a grain of sand on a beach"

"I thought you worked in contracts when you started here"

That made her look up.

Jaime was languidly leaning against the wall directly opposite where she sat, regarding her through the corner of one eye and smiling as if he had the world's best secret which he wasn't going to share with her anytime soon.

Not for the first time Brienne wondered from whom he was getting his entirely correct information but she didn't voice her confusion, the fact that he hadn't brought it up in the past to tease her with made her think it was recent knowledge. 

"I filed. I ticked boxes. I stayed in the basement." On particularly bad days she sometimes wished she had remained there, but then she had been offered the job on the redesign team upstairs and there had been Renly and two years had disappeared in a blink of an eye.

"I wouldn't have called you in here if I didn't think you could help", there was a barely noticeable bite back in Jaime's voice, "It's a shame but I guess your eyes mustn't be as astonishing as I thought"

Brienne worried at her lower lip with her teeth, thinking there could have been a compliment in there but it was difficult to tell with his changeable tone. She had never spent this long with Jaime in such a short period of time and he continued to be infuriatingly puzzling.

"If you would give me longer than a minute maybe I could", his bite reflected in her own tone as she scanned the desk with him contining to watch, Brienne only hoped he didn't see the deep calming breaths she forced herself to take in order to concentrate properly. "Reed is a dead end, there's no issue there, the kids are in and out of that house like it's a second home. I'd think you could discount Mormont and Umber too as they'll be out of jobs with Robb leaving office"

"Three down", she glanced up and saw Jaime was holding up three fingers, "If you continue like that wench we might actually get home before tomorrow." He took a pause to smile, one Brienne thought must have worked in the past to get him what he wanted without much trouble, "Are you sure you don't want to go out to eat?"

After yesterday she thought she'd be happy to never set foot in a restaurant again. Instead she pointed at the menus, "Pizza. No olives"

Jaime laughed but not without affection, "You're so young"


	20. Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well done to anyone who guessed I'd still be writing this twenty chapters in. Who knows at this rate I might end up at somewhere around chapter forty before I'm done!

"I can't...", Brienne rubbed at her eyes as the writing in front of them began to blur into one big jumble of letters and numbers. She had been sat in the same position for what must have been a good few hours, judging by how dark it was outside and the number of news updates Jaime kept piping up with from behind his desk.

"You know you would tell me off if I had that kind of defeatist attitude", there was a smile in his voice but Brienne was much too tired to throw back anything more than a childish retort so kept her mouth shut. Jaime of course noticed her silence and tried to goad her into making a move, "Has the Maid of Tarth lost her voice? Do we need to call a doctor to help find it?"

Brienne couldn't say she liked that nickname any better than Jaime's usual favourite. "The what of what?"

"It's what some of the girls have started calling you. Apparently they all think you're still a virgin but I informed them that there was no way you hadn't....", he trailed off and she realised he was waiting for her reaction before he continued. 

Unfortunately her programming had kicked in the second he mentioned the word 'virgin' and her whole body tensed and flooded with embarrassment. It wasn't as if she was ashamed of the status, it was more the fact that people she didn't know felt the urge to judge and comment on it. Hunt and his cronies she could handle on a good day but women, especially the pretty little things that tweeted around the office like little birds, waged different wars and she had never been able to keep up. 

"You are?", she couldn't tell what was in his tone, whether it was incredulousness, excitement, suspicion or something else entirely but found that no matter what he thought of her lack of experience it was still none of his business. After all, she thought, making out with him twice didn't automatically make him her boyfriend or anything and it wasn't as if she thought she could handle that development in their friendship, relationship even, anytime soon. If she had to label it, and she did as her head wouldn't let her leave it alone, he was closer to being a friend with benefits. 

But even though her mind was working a mile a minute, trying to picture Renly's face of all people in amongst a few other choice images she wasn't planning on sharing, she just uttered, "I need some air", and tried on unsteady legs to leave Jaime's office.

"Hey", he raised his voice at her retreating form, "Hey! Brienne!"

She tried not to turn around and nearly fell over the almost empty pizza box on the floor in her haste to avoid the conversation that was coming. It had been a really good pizza, although Jaime had conveniently forgotten about her aversion to olives and she had to pick them off but he had moved all the mushrooms from his slices on to hers and ate them folded up like a kid trying to wolf it down as fast as possible. He also left the crusts in the box which she had to admit she found rather funny for some reason.

Jaime had sat on the floor beside the table as they ate even though he could have sat on a chair, admonishing her for eating off a proper plate and getting greasy marks all over the pages she was reading.

"Brienne", he yelled again, "That was unworthy ... forgive me. I wasn't thinking"

It would have been too easy for her to just turn around and say yes, fine you're forgiven, should we make out some more, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the whole Maid of Tarth thing went deeper than he was letting on. Brienne felt tired, irritable, embarrassed and wanted to go home and try and at least get a couple of hours sleep and a shower before she had to come back and do this all again. She didn't have the luxury Jaime had of only working two or three days a week.

Of course, being in a high rise building meant she had to go all the way down to the lobby to get some real fresh air and her appearance from out of the elevator made the nightwatchman on the front desk squeak with shock. She waved good-naturedly at Sam, who was reading a well thumbed Harry Potter paperback, and headed outside in the hope that she could clear her head.

Her phone buzzed at her hip as the night air hit and cooled. Pulling it out of her pocket, Brienne read the tiny screen carefully. 

Jaime 11:48 PM  
SORRY :(

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jaime's unworthy/forgive me line is taken straight from the Harrenhal bath scene in ASOS


	21. Twenty One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies that this isn't moving as quickly as some people would like it to, but I'm trying not to fall into the same mistakes I know I've made with ...Butterflies regarding tension. 
> 
> Let me know if dragging it all out is making it worse

"I hadn't realised there was anyone still left in the building. I'll have to turn all the alarms off on your floor", Brienne thought the nightwatchman sounded worried as he called out to her across the dark and deserted lobby. 

"We're ... I'm just about to leave", she shot back with a yawn. The cold air and the realisation that she had been at work for over sixteen hours that day helping to push her to a point that was well past ready to go home and return to her regularly scheduled life. Jaime, as he kept reminding her, had the advantage of quite a few more years life experience and for all she cared, could stay here all night if that's what he wanted to do. 

She heard her stammering correction and realised that it had been a mistake the second it had left her lips, there had been no need to draw any attention to the fact that she hadn't been alone all night, the same second she couldn't stop the friendly man behind the desk from hearing it.

"It's not what you think", she tried to cover up her embarrassment but ended up digging a bigger hole for herself as she stepped back into the elevator. Although Sam made no attempt at any kind of response, Brienne hated the implication in her own voice that she had been doing something wrong and the idea, especially in her current state of mind, was highly disconcerting to her.

Though once the first yawn had escaped she found she could think of little else and the floodgates wouldn't be closed. By the time the elevator had climbed back up to her floor she had tears in her eyes and the desire to curl up on any flat, soft surface she could find and just spend some time not thinking.

Unfortunately Jaime's office was still between her and her car keys, and the ridiculous man who had kissed her twice in two days with very little explanation somehow always seemed to know when she was walking by, even when his office had been on the other side of the building where the whole place was alive and buzzing with constant energy. 

Sure enough as she tried to creep past, pretty much an ineffective move before she had even attempted it taking into consideration her general bulk and tendency towards clumsiness, he called out to her.

"Are we going to continue or are you bailing because it's past your bedtime?"

"It may be past any sensible person's bedtime", she answered, realising she was thankful about what they were not talking about.

"You must have been so much fun in college"

Jaime looked her over as she stepped through the doorway and Brienne tensed in anticipation of a repeat of his earlier appraisal, but there was nothing leonine in his eyes now. In fact if she had to settle on one emotion it probably would have something close to concern, not that he would ever express anything like that to her though.

"You look dead on your feet"

Jaime didn't, she noticed, not anywhere close and he'd actually been waiting for her that morning. Apart from a growing need to shave, his stubble even more distinctly gold and silver now, he looked just as good as he had sixteen and a half hours ago.

"Don't bother tidying up, Pia needs something to do tomorrow", he took another look at her, "I've got a car downstairs, use it and go home. You're no good to me asleep"

"I'm not going to let you come with me", Brienne looked at the floor as she spoke but her words were firm.

"You continue to have a very low opinion of me. Though I am curious to see where you live"

Whether intentional or not his voice was taking on a quicksilver like quality again by the time he finished talking, liquid metal that smoothly flowed, conducting the electricity that kept sparking between them. 

"No", she snapped, closing her eyes as she thought she saw his hand move, feeling a strange static charge ruffle her hair.

Jaime only clapped her shoulder though, like she would have done to a winning runner. "You should get going. It's not a good idea to keep my driver waiting"

"And the record, Brienne, if the number of people you have or haven't had sex with doesn't bother you then you shouldn't let it bother me or anyone else"

She found she didn't quite believe him, but guessed that she wouldn't be referred to as the Maid of Tarth again anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok this will be the last update until at least Tuesday as I've got a job interview tomorrow to prep for and stress over. 
> 
> Real life calls :)


	22. Twenty Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well it's Tuesday here (just) so heres another chapter :)
> 
> Nothing much happens here really though so apologies

When Brienne had arrived the next morning, the Lannister associate not due in again until the end of the week, there had been a note on her desk granting her the use of Pia for the next few days to continue their inquiry into the RW quarter. If she hadn't seen the second of genuine worry on Jaime's face she would have thought that he was, just a little bit at least, actually enjoying all this sneaking around.

She wondered if he had been hit on the head at some point recently and had conveniently forgotten to notify her of the accident.

Pia, while very sweet and as far away from looking like a super model as Brienne had originally envisioned his assistant's would be, wasn't really that much help other than to distract the staff in the basement while she snuck in and out to take completely legal photographs of documents she didn't want to remove. The little assistant was also very good at one other thing; talking.

And Pia's favourite subject just happened to be the one thing Brienne didn't want to talk about.

The blonde had never been much of a conversationalist, her best reponses were always in writing after she had been given enough time to think and not just blurt out or stumble over the first things that came into her head. It also allowed her a little more control over her emotions.

Though with Jaime it had become a different story, the staff had slowly gotten used to her mumbling ways in person but the Lannister man was one of the few who refused to give her the space or time that she needed to work out what people really wanted from her. With him it was all clever words and quick retorts, each one waiting for a reaction that he could use against her at a later date to produce yet another, more interesting, outcome. She wondered when the silence he had stunned her into with kisses would come back to haunt her.

"Exactly what time did you leave here last night?", Pia asked as Brienne unsuccessfully hid a yawn behind her hand.

"Late." If she was being honest she hadn't clocked the exact time she had been dropped off at her door, feeling like she should have at least paid the silent man behind the wheel of the town car. Though when he'd been waiting for her the next morning the journey back into the city had been much worse.

"And was Jaime's apartment to your liking?"

Brienne's blush at the insinuation had been unwanted and entirely unprofessional, though she did wonder about Sam Tarly's ability to keep his mouth shut after her ridiculous attempt to camouflage the kissing situation. It wouldn't have taken a genius to put two and two together after Jaime had assumingly left shortly after her.

"Don't worry, I'll not tell anyone." Pia smiled, using the coloration across her temporary supervisor's face as confirmation for her salacious guesswork.

Brienne sent her away after that, rumours of that nature having a habit of spreading like wildfire in Stark Industries.

The office had ebbed and flowed with nervous energy following the confirmation of Robb's downfall, everyone agreeing with one or more of the conspiracy theories flying around. Brienne only hoped she wasn't being implicated in any way, as she got the uneasy feeling that a few groups had been talking about her seconds before she had walked past them.

A pile of new brochures for the historical attraction at The Wall had been enough to distract her for the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon, that was until her screen flashed with the employee messaging service they weren't supposed to use for personal reasons.

'What are you doing?'

Jaime might as well have just told her he was bored and needed entertaining.

'Working. Go away'

Brienne went to close down the screen but his reply came back too quick.

'What are you wearing?'

'Go. Away.'

She could almost see him laughing at her through the computer as she received yet another prohibited message.

'You need new material'

'And you need a new attitude'

Brienne hadn't really meant to hit send but accidentally clicked, jumping as Pod had crept up on her.

"Miss..., I mean Boss..., I mean Brienne", the young man falteringly tried to settle on a moniker, even though she had reminded him multiple times to call her by her first name. "I think, you may need, to see this"


	23. Twenty Three

By the time Brienne realised where Pod was taking her, it was much too late to turn around. 

As she walked through the banks of desks to where she could see the distorted figure of an elegant redhead reservedly sitting behind glass, she heard the whisperings of half a hundred people, each one a stab worse than any physical wound. It felt like they were calling her all the names she was chastising herself with and a few others that were so untrue she never would have even considered them. However Pod was still leading her towards the room and the figure and Brienne was ready to face whatever fate was coming to her.

She had to acknowledge though,, that it was a very strange notion for Catelyn Stark to co-opt the youngest member of the marketing team as a messenger. When other people had been called in front of the boss, it had usually warranted a visit from the quite frankly terrifying Mr Myr. 

Pod smiled, avoiding eye contact as Brienne knocked and entered the office. “We didn’t do…”

She momentarily forgot to finish the thought and went to open her mouth again at the sight of Sansa Stark bundled behind her mother’s desk, but was silenced with a quick hush as the redhead brought a finger up to her lips.

She hissed at the taller woman, “I’m not supposed to be here, there’s still two weeks left of the semester”

“You’re skipping school?” Brienne didn’t mean to sound disappointed but the emotion was still there. Although there had been a few times when she would have liked to have thought of the teenage Stark girl as a friend, for a normal person she probably would have only been classed as an acquaintance.

“It’s college. Besides Christmas is coming, I’ll not be missing anything but an awful lot of sympathy”, she pointed at the image of her brother on the television screen that all the offices but Brienne’s seemed to have had installed. “I don’t think I could cope with being asked twenty times a day how I feel about the Red Wedding”

Brienne hoped she looked as sympathetic as the younger woman deserved, though whatever emotion been observed was quickly marred by annoyance. The Blackberry the blonde had forgotten was still in her pocket buzzed and Sansa’s face dropped.

“I hope I’m not keeping you from anything important. I just wanted someone to talk to while I’m here” her voice was full of worry and concern, a contrast to how Catelyn would have snapped the former phrase like a strict school teacher.

Brienne double checked that the message was indeed from Jaime and tried to ignore his attempt at raising her blood pressure, “No, it’s just an annoyance I have to deal with”

“Ahhhh”, the redhead murmured as if she knew exactly how that felt. However it was barely ten seconds later when Sansa smiled up at Brienne like she had just realised exactly what, or rather who, said annoyance was. “Something or someone?”

Brienne tried to drop her phone back into her pocket but missed and it hit the floor instead with a dull thump. Thinking that she seriously couldn’t have been the last one to figure out what had been going on for the past few weeks, she scrambled for the small device that was still thankfully in one piece.

Sansa giggled at the fumble, but there was nothing mean in her tone. “I think if you two were actually children instead of just acting like them, he’d be pulling your hair and you’d be telling him he smelled bad. And both of you would deny the fact that you like LIKE each other”, she smiled again, eyes wide with glee, though Brienne still couldn’t really follow the younger woman’s mirth for the situation. “I can’t quite decide whether it’s completely hilarious or terribly sweet” 

“I don’t think ‘sweet’ is the right word”, the blonde woman was firm but uncomfortable, a strange combination she thought, though all she really wanted was to move everyone away from the same topic that kept coming up over and over again.

“You know Christmas is coming”, Sansa’s reminder seemed highly leading, “If we’re going off previous years there’s always some kind of event happening”

“So?”

“What have you got to lose if you ask him out?”

Brienne looked up at the small television screen, the news channel now feeling the need to play footage on a loop, the implication of an insider still strong. Maybe quite a lot, she thought sadly.


	24. Twenty Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge huge thanks for all the wonderful comments and kudos and to everyone reading. The support and love has been nothing short of amazing.
> 
> So I'm not too sure about this bit, I haven't decided yet if it's a little backstory heavy and not enough interaction but I'll let you decide for yourself.

Jaime knew he was torturing himself long before he had turned the news off. It had been fine, he'd justified, to keep the sound turned up through the press conferences and round table interviews as if somehow that would lead him to discovering the one person who was acting unusually.

After a while though his head hurt, and he wasn't sure whether his brother's shrewd political leanings, to assist with reading intentions, or the giant blonde girl's ability to kick him out of one of his less than pleasant moods, through a steady stream of put downs, would have been of more use.

She had done it once before, back when he was barely past the new employee stage and they had felt more than distaste towards each other.

There had been family issues, barely a week went by without some kind of family drama with the Lannister's but they paid a lot of money to keep most of it out of the papers, a broken wrist and a feeling of loss.

There had been no trust, not yet, but the day she'd found him sitting in the stairwell after he had surprised even himself by defending her in a meeting, though following it up with several uncomplimentary statements about both her and the Starks and she still hadn't ran away as he expected. 

Instead the stubborn girl had scoffed at his inability to deal with a broken bone and wondered out loud about why people loved to overpraise a famous name without any visible evidence of their achievements. He still didn't know why her tone had made him stalk back to his office.

Put her in a social situation and she acted like she wanted to disappear into the wallpaper but direct confrontation could have her fighting like no one Jaime had ever witnessed before. And she took both her job and her loyalty to Catelyn Stark very seriously.

Brienne Tarth had been the girl he'd been forced to rely on for information, and most everything else, until he'd found his feet at Stark Industries. She had hated the forced relationship just as much as he did, but it was part of her role and Jaime had guessed she did everything to the best of her ability even if he was going out of his way to make their time together as difficult as possible.

Though after the stairwell incident there had been a shift towards the beginnings of a mutual respect and he found he couldn't stop his growing interest in the freakishly tall girl's attributes.

So by the time a representative had appeared on the screen to read a statement from the Lannister family, Jaime had switched off his father's words and turned on the Brienne's.

He had to admit that it had always been interesting to be able to catch her off guard and distract her from whatever mind numbing task she'd been given, but throw in a little suggestion and it had become downright enjoyable. Though even that didn't compare to the joy at witnessing the wreck she had become when he'd actually acted on one of those urges.

It would have been better if she'd been sat in front of him, so he could have watched the way she would grow redder and redder under scrutiny until the best way to describe her colour would be somewhere close to scarlet. But he'd taken this day to try and distance himself from crap he hadn't been involved with, failing spectacularly, so his words and memory would have to be enough.

Jaime could almost hear the growing frustration in Brienne's repetitive dismissals, though even when he pushed back a little more he was only met with a belief about his attitude.

'And what would that achieve?'

Her response took hours, even after he text her, but sure enough she couldn't let him have the last word.

'An easy life'

'How unadventurous. Anything that comes too easy isn't worth that much'

There was a beat before her almost childish reply flashed back.

'Says Jaime Lannister'

'Oh but you forget the best things are worth fighting for'

Jaime thought he had stumped her then, imagining her chewing at her lip as she tried to wrack her brain for a suitable retort, a few words that would push his verbal blows back. He waited though, not really thinking that Brienne's innocence or, hopefully irritation would allow anything much past shut up in that moment.

What he did receive though was as much of a surprise as the softness of her lips.

'All isn't fair in love and war'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The overpraise a famous name is paraphrased from Walk of Punishment.


	25. Twenty Five

Sansa had sweetly insisted that Brienne join her for an early dinner, the redhead being tired from her journey and craving comfort food. She had also made a veiled comment about not really wanting to go home to an empty house anytime soon and Brienne felt she could sympathise, at least slightly. Sansa Stark may have had beauty and money, but that didn't mean she couldn't be lonely at times.

Which is exactly how Brienne ended up at the second awkward dinner she'd had that week, though after her almost friend had ordered grilled cheese and milkshakes most of the tension disappeared as she realised that the redhead didn't have any ulterior  motive for inviting her along.

"I forgot to say congrats earlier for the promotion", Sansa took a gigantic bite of the sandwich in her hand and Brienne watched the grease ran down her fingers, "Sorry, I was a little distracted"

Brienne waved the apology away, wondering if she could keep up with the chattering tonight or if she would just have to nod and smile and pretend like she was interested. If her experience of romantic entanglements was limited then her background knowledge of what normal, pretty teenage girls wanted to talk about was non-existent. 

Somehow though, it still didn't come as a surprise when the main topic turned out to be boys.

"My mom 'advised' me not to date freshmen year, can you believe that? It's like she still thinks I'm a child she has some control over"

Brienne nodded as she nibbled on a couple of fries, not sure if she was really meant to answer that question. Though she'd had a few conversations with Mrs Stark that sounded highly similar.

"But Brie, you haven't seen the guys! I mean most of them are a mess but there's one that I feel like my heart is going to explode out of my chest every time he even smiles at me. It's like I've never been more alive but I'm dying at the same time. It's exquisite"

The blonde woman hadn't realised she had let a small smile betray her inner most thoughts after that sentence, but she must have shown some kind of change across her face as the redhead picked up on it immediately.

"Though I don't need to tell you that, right?"

Brienne felt heat rise but to her credit Sansa neither smiled in mocking or pushed for more information.

She fixed her with a clear, perceptive look of youth and spoke as if every word was the absolute truth. "All I'll say is he'd be lucky to have you and if he can't see that then he's more of an idiot than I originally thought"

"It's not what you think", Brienne blurted out, realising that the excuse sounded even worse the second time she was using it. "I mean ... I don't think it's ... exactly what you..."

Sansa stopped her with a kind touch on her arm, "But is it what you think it is?"

The blonde felt she was rounding the emotional maturity of a teenager as she shrugged her shoulders, deciding after to shake her head as her building confusion didn't quite know what to do when faced with such a direct accusation.

"Give me your phone", Sansa demanded after she didn't get a response, wiping away most of the hot grease and holding out her hand.

"Why? What are you going to do?", Brienne was suddenly very skeptical.

"I'm going to give Jaime Lannister a wake up call"

The older woman shook her head violently, burying the device deeper into the pocket of her slacks as if hiding it would mean that nothing further would be able to come through, and that she hadn't spent more time than was sane deliberating over how much she should delete.

"At least promise me as a friend that you'll consider taking him to the Christmas party?"

"I can't do that", Brienne hoped she sounded as strongly opinionated on that subject as she felt.

"Oh", the younger woman paused for a few seconds, until her next idea lit up her face. "Then take me instead"

That Brienne thought she could do, a barrier between her giant bulk and little things in party dresses wasn't such a bad thought. Though as soon as she nodded she regretted the decision, Sansa already on to her next brain wave.

"So what are we going to wear?"

 

There was only one message waiting for her at home, a deep rumbling that pushed her straight back into wakefulness, affecting her exactly the way he must have hoped.

"Sweet dreams wench"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise they'll be back in the same room in the next chapter :)


	26. Twenty Six

Brienne realised why whole staff meetings were rarely called at Stark Industries, simply because there was hardly anywhere big enough to hold all the employees together, especially at short notice. However when her team had been called away to one of the floor's conference rooms just before lunch, she knew what was coming.

To be honest she had known last night, right about the time she had found herself with an unexpected house guest. 

It had been reported that Robb was finally back home after the campaign defeat, and that meant it wouldn't be too long before the figure standing behind office frosted glass would definitely be Catelyn Stark and not her daughter.

Brienne didn't know what had come over her as she offered Sansa her sofa for a couple of days until the leave of absence was sorted with the college. She had been rewarded with a hug and the feeling that she now had a friend for life.

Though heading towards the unplanned gathering, she felt like she had horribly betrayed the elder Stark woman for harbouring Sansa's secret. And that wasn't even taking into account the apprehension she was experiencing over the whole terribly wonderful Jaime situation.

Brienne slid into the empty seat closest to the door, nobody else ever wanting it in the winter due to the freezing cold drafts that blew through into the room from several entrances, but she'd found that didn't really bother her all that much. The position granted her two things that mattered more than keeping warm, a good view of everyone else in the room and an easy exit should she need it.

Jaime caught her eye from across the table as she shuffled papers, nothing more than pointless busy work to keep her hands occupied, even though she hadn't meant the slight noise to draw any attention to how far she had isolated herself from the rest of the group. The thought that she would have to spend forced social time with these colleagues if Sansa had her way sent a shiver of trepidation through her, the motion affecting her careful organisation to cause the papers to fall all out of order and spread across the desk.

Jaime cleared his throat, frowning when she raised her head to look directly at him, her only response being to raise her eyebrows as he continued to stare. 

The room was beginning to fill up by that point, no one really wanting to be late and face the wrath of Catelyn by being caught sneaking in, so Brienne's carefully constructed space was being encroached on very quickly. Though before Dacey Mormont from sales could ease herself into the chair to Brienne's left, a flash of gold caught in the corner of her eye and Jaime was suddenly beside her once again.

"You've been avoiding me", he accused in a deliberately low voice, Brienne hoping he recognised that their current surroundings probably weren't the best place to discuss whatever he was about to bring up.

Not that he was actually wrong, she thought. 

Ever since she had saw him strolling down the corridor first thing that morning with Pia in tow, looking more appealing than any man in a suit had a right to, she had instructed Pod to only disturb her in case of emergency and had shut her door to the outside world.

"It's been a busy morning", she whispered back, no word a lie.

"Busy afternoon too", he sounded closer but Brienne didn't want to turn her head in case it meant she lost control over whatever fragile hold she suddenly had on her breathing. Goosebumps spread down her neck and she wasn't sure if it was down to the idea of his warm breath on her skin again or the cold coming in from the opening door.

"Margaery Tyrell's here at three", he told her in the same tone, and Brienne wondered if he really was purring at her or if it was just something her over active imagination was adding. 

"I know", her reply pitched back at a normal level, "She's here to see me"

Before Jaime could respond, Mr Myr appeared at the front of the room  
and clapped his hands as he introduced the boss to the department heads and outside partners.

Under the table Jaime placed his hand on top of Brienne's, hopefully a gesture of friendship than anything close to words and sentiments she didn't want to consider, though she let it stay there until long after Catelyn had finished talking.


	27. Twenty Seven

"Miss Tyrell has just called to say she’ll be here in fifteen minutes", Pia’s voice jingled down the phone line after Brienne picked it up gingerly. She hadn’t been wrong about Catelyn being on the warpath and was desperately trying to avoid her as best she could as Brienne knew she didn’t have the best track record when it came to lying or even concealing information. One look and Mrs Stark would probably have been able to tell that one of her star employees had been making out with one of the possible suspects in her son’s political annihilation and was currently hiding her truant daughter in a tiny apartment.

Sansa had called just after the departmental meeting, mainly to express even more gratitude about the fact she had been invited to stay, a sentiment that she had already gone successfully overboard with the previous night. The redhead had also, none to subtly, asked after Jaime, trying to hide it in a sweet outburst over why exactly Brienne didn’t own a microwave.

"There’s very little chance that it’s … he’s … it’s going to harm you if you let him … it in", Sansa had told her, seemingly intent on helping to confuse the blonde woman even more.

"You have a lot of confidence in things you don’t know", Brienne had replied, not really meaning to sound defeated but that ended up being the way her thoughts came out, her head still full of Red Wedding jargon and the pressure of Jaime’s hand over hers.

"At least I had the confidence to ask mine out", Sansa lost the pretence as the excitement of her triumph overcame her other emotions.

Brienne didn’t really know what to say, she had left the teenager in a quiet house with very little contact with the outside world, yet she’d still managed to do something the older woman couldn’t. "When did you do that?"

"About ten minutes ago. I’ve still got Facebook you know", there was a long pause as Brienne considered that and Sansa didn’t get the reply she wanted straight away. "I’ll let you know how it turns out"

Though there still had been no reply before Pia had rung, Brienne allowed her new friend’s romantic escapades to overrule those of her own until the phone call.

"Thank you", she replied, "Can you let Mr…."

"Jaime’s already downstairs. He mentioned something about a rising issue that he needed to discuss with you as soon as possible. Is that something I need to be aware of?"

"I don’t think so", Brienne mumbled, wondering if he’d finally had a breakthrough with the contracts or if this was about the other thing she had so far refused to talk about.

"Oh. Well", Pia sounded both intrigued and a little put out, "You’ve still got about ten minutes before the Tyrell’s arrive if it’s as important as it sounded"

 

"Miss Tarth", Jaime greeted her far more formally than Brienne really thought she deserved, gesturing for her to close the door. After what transpired the last time she'd been alone with him and ignored a similar request it didn't really take her that long to comply.

"I see that you're as punctual as usual", he joked as soon as the door shut, "Although you must be losing your touch a little since yet again I arrived before you"

"It's not my fault that you've suddenly developed a conscientious streak", she spat back as he couldn't help but grin at her growing discomfort.

"What are you even doing here?", Brienne tried to fight off the frustration that seemed to appear more often than not whenever Jaime was around, "I thought the Tyrell's wanted to see me"

"Apparently we come as a pair now", he sent her a lopsided smile that did nothing but extenuate the glimmer in his eyes, speaking volumes and she suddenly felt very queasy.

As Brienne stubbornly sat at the far end of the table, desperate not to repeat her body's earlier performance, Jaime patted the seat beside him, "Come on wench, if they expect us to be a united front then the least you could do is sit next to me. You know I don't bite unless you want me to"

"Are we back to that again?", she huffed as she moved seats, completely for the good of the company and not because she had any desire to be closer to him then was needed.

"What gave you the impression we were past that?", he grinned and she wanted to hit him for almost pushing his luck, "Wench"

Taking a deep breath, she thought of Sansa as she gathered her courage to place her hand gently over his.

"This"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I'm not boring too many people with the pace of this
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	28. Twenty Eight

The Tyrell's must have been running late, Brienne thought, as it felt like she had been touching Jaime's hand for hours by the time the knock on the door arrived to signal the end of whatever little moment she had created.

Jaime hadn't said a word since her final one, and she hadn't felt the need to break the silence in case she said something stupid, something wrong that would further betray the pulse now thrumming through her thumb. The steady beat of which she was pretty sure he could probably sense if not feel against his skin.

As the sound of the outside world rang out, she removed herself from the human contact she'd initiated, Jaime's only move being to gently run the side of his own thumb along the soft skin of her wrist as she pulled away. It felt like an instinctive sweep, a little touch to let her know that he was with her even if he didn't understand why yet. Or at least that's what Brienne hoped it meant, she didn't expect Jaime Lannister to be very interested in talking about why they kept finding themselves in these sort of situations. 

Brienne made a mental note to check with her temporary teenage roommate, who possibly had a greater wealth of knowledge to draw on, as surprisingly she was the first one to react by standing up to open the door.

Pia stared back from the corridor, the young Tyrell heiress in tow but her brother nowhere to be seen.

The little assistant took one look at Brienne, the sort of which could pierce through skin and bone and the tall blonde felt herself burn a little under it. 

"Has the issue risen or deflated?", Pia asked, peeking into the room to stare at her momentarily speechless boss. The mousy girl subtly winked at Brienne as her addition of the situation came up with a much greater number than warranted. "Just be careful", she whispered, "Some of the walls have eyes"

Brienne stared, it taking her a second to realise what the assistant was inferring. Storing that terrifying piece of information away for later, of course the building had security cameras just hopefully not in Jaime's office, Brienne offered her large hand out to the dainty Margaery Tyrell.

"Miss Tyrell, I'm ... so pleased you ... decided to ... call this meeting", Pod's inability to speak in more than four or five syllables at a time seemed to have rubbed off on Brienne, and her stumbling delivery made her want to start again. Jaime usually did all of this, the meet and greet, while she became the numbers girl. The one who knew exactly what to put in front of someone, just not the words to explain it.

"Miss..."

"Margaery", the brunette shook her hand, "We've met before in much worse circumstances if I remember correctly, so there is absolutely no need to be so nervous. Plus I wouldn't be here if I didn't already know that you're going to come up with the very best solution to my problems"

Brienne tried not to smile at the unexpected vote of confidence, "Do you ... would you like to come in?"

Margaery nodded, the smile on her face calming and friendly. "Before the pitch remember to breathe sweetie. You'll have bigger problems if you don't"

"Do you think we could have some water please?", the heiress demanded the attention of Jaime's assistant, even if her question and delivery were about as sweet as syrup. "Anymore caffeine today and I think I'll vibrate right into next week"

Brienne wondered just what she had done to deserve one of the richest young women in the country covering up her inexperienced mistakes, but there wasn't time to dwell on it as Margaery swept into the conference room and all but pounced on Jaime.

"I see chivalry is about as dead as I imagined", the brunette's mutter was barely audible but it was enough to shake Brienne's colleague out of his temporary daze.

Jaime took one look at the other blonde in the room, a moment of almost confusion knotting his brows together, before launching into what must have been well rehearsed prattle.

"The company...", Jaime started before even he stumbled a little as Margaery cut him off.

"The company is in a state of flux. If I believed The Spider, which I don't, you shouldn't even still be here. Which is why, given the current state of things, I wanted to meet with Brienne"

"Though it seems I can't get one of you without the other"


	29. Twenty Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some chapters are easy, others are a nightmare. Jaime POV's remain a difficulty, so I hope there aren't too many OOC moves in here for this AU version.

"Well denying me of my right hand girl seems awfully cruel don't you think?" Jaime smirked, feeling both women prickle at his attempt to lighten the conversation, in the process silencing some of the unwanted things in his head.

Not too surprisingly given her general demeanour, the barely concealed annoyance granted the Tyrell heiress an almost sultry look and Jaime imagined, especially knowing his sister the way he did, that for some men it could have been perceived as something close to a challenge. 

The insult was easier to read on Brienne's face though, one quick glance was all it took for him to see that she had already taken that particular wound to heart, much too soon for him to mock at her innocent attempt to push their association in a new direction. There was a small part of him that hoped the knowing words would fester deep inside of her, knocking back any further tenderness she may have had planned. Though that was currently battling with the idea of whisking her away and putting his growing freckle fascination to bed.

It had, after all, been her right hand that she'd fitted so perfectly over his, warm against his carefully scarred wrist in a touching display of togetherness. He'd had that hand up her shirt and still she managed to shock him to a point of nothingness with the gentle gesture.

Though to Jaime, it still felt less like the young blonde had learnt to play him at his own game of reactionary moves and more like she had spent some time over thinking the changing nature of their barely realised friendship.

As he avoided hurt blue eyes and met Margaery's gaze instead, her sneer chastised and judged him simultaneously. It was almost as if her shrewdness had come with a few other special abilities. 

"I think you'll find that may be the other way around", she paused though it wasn't for any other reason but to keep his attention, "Didn't you once imply that you'd take a good painful break over having to admit that you actually needed help?"

Jaime wasn't sure if that was entirely true anymore, though it would still depend on who the help was coming from. When he'd made the comment originally he'd still been full of the invincibility of youth and overly arrogant with it, mocking the ill that had befallen a friend at a society gathering. Margaery mustn't have been more than a teenager at the time as she really couldn't have been much older than Brienne, though lacking a measure of intriguing innocence.

If he would have remembered it later Jaime would have made a mental note to watch his tongue around the Tyrell's, just in case something else he said could come back and stab him in the back at a later date.

The grin that flew to his face then was almost a defence mechanism, though the brunette hadn't actually said anything that would have garnered more than an offhand remark under normal circumstances.

"I think you'll find that may be an overestimation of your expertise", Jaime's focused on her assessment of his working relationship, realising that she couldn't know that Brienne would be as slow to accept any offered help as he would be.

His speech patterns slowed, taking on a dangerous element. "Tell me Miss Tyrell, where were you when this joint venture brought in a profit of over one hundred million? Was it Monte Carlo or Ibiza?"

Margaery, whether used to direct questioning or not really caring when it came from someone she obviously didn't have a great deal of respect for, barely blinked.

"I can't see how that is any of your business, Mr Lannister"

"That's because it's not", Brienne jumped in, pragmatically trying to save what little she could before Jaime could  come back with another retort. She sent him a barely readable look, the hurt having dissipated to leave behind something he couldn't recognise and absentmindedly he thought about all the times he'd noticed feelings as clear as if the words had been inked on her skin.

"Jaime", Brienne began and damn it even her voice sounded tender in that second, making him want her to hit, curse or kiss him instead. "I think ... it'll be, maybe better ... if you leave"

It was all the wench's fault, he thought as he stalked out of the space, glancing back at her one final time before she slipped out of view and back into frustrating dreams.


	30. Thirty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many many apologies to anyone who was confused after the last chapter, Jaime messes up my writing patterns so badly and I think I tried something clever and maybe it didn't pan out, please bare with me as I'm really little more than an adequate writer. 

Brienne didn't think she'd ever understand Jaime Lannister, the man who had happily kissed her twice, as if he'd wanted her ugly face and oversize body in a way that very few had ever done before, had just tried to shove her verbally into next week because she'd attempted to hold his hand in a more than friendly manner. She really didn't want to know what the consequences would have been if she had initiated another prohibited make out session.

Well it was either her fumbling attempt at showing interest or there was an issue between him and their potential new client, that he had forgotten to make her aware of in between dealing with Starks and his tongue ending up in her mouth.

"I've already rescheduled this meeting once in order to get you both in the same room", Margaery sighed in something close to polite exasperation after Jaime had stalked away to lick at whatever wounds the women had opened. "But it seems that idea remains little more than a pipe dream." 

"You did?" Brienne blurted out, betraying the perceived sense of calm in the room, surprise in her voice making her pitch sneak higher to cause her to sound just about as young as she currently felt.

"Of course", the brunette smiled in a way that made the taller woman wonder if she knew a lot more than she was letting on, "There were some concentration issues at the restaurant the other day that weren't exactly productive"

Brienne froze in her seat, hoping that her face wasn't giving away any secondhand embarrassment as she remembered the brunette's seemingly kind words, Hyle's boundary issues and as she let out a breath, Jaime.

"So if there are going to be anymore today sweetie, I'd rather get them out of the way as soon as possible", Margaery smiled again as the saccharine in her tone dripped beautifully and that time Brienne knew they'd both been read far too easily by the heiress. 

"I'll be happy to sign whatever is needed to get this process started but I think, right now, it may be better for all involved if you are physically closer to the thing you can't stop thinking about."

"That's ... not necessary", Brienne stuttered as she handed Margaery a folder of information in order to continue the organised session, the things in her head embarrassingly running a little rampant almost at the exact second the other woman had expressed her permission.

Margaery raised an eyebrow as if the blonde had screamed out something entirely different but took the offering anyway, "By all accounts you're usually very good at what you do, if a little sheltered, so I really don't mind giving you some time to sort this out. But sweetie, I'll be expecting both of you to keep your relationship problems out of these meetings in the future"

Relationship still wasn't the right word, Brienne considered as she thanked the surprising kindness offered to her and wondered just how much time she could take before it would be thought of as overly rude.

 

Pod tried to stop her just as her palm hit her office door, Brienne only meaning to take an hour or so without any distractions to work through the Tyrell's numbers and find the confidence to come up with a plan that  might actually work now it seemed she was on her own.

"Miss ... Brienne, I wouldn't go, in there, if I was you", he told her in the clumsy but almost protective manner she'd come to expect. Remembering that the last time he had warned her about something had resulted in Sansa  sleeping on her sofa, Brienne very slowly pushed open the door in case there was yet another Stark hiding inside. 

Instead she found she had to swallow hard at the sight of Jaime half sitting, half leaning against her desk. 

"What are you doing here?" she hissed at his intrusion, "There are other emptier offices, including your own"

"This one suits me just fine", he replied as he surveyed the tiny space with a penetrating gaze. Though if Jaime was trying to distance himself from her, Brienne thought he was failing spectacularly as he lifted his head and fixed her in a strangely almost apologetic emerald spotlight.

"I think I've finally got your answer if you still care about your damn reputation." Brienne snapped as it felt like he was still playing with her somehow, finding and throwing two probably wasted days worth of work at him.

"Mockingbird"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any better?
> 
> 'What are you doing here ... This one suits me just fine' is from the Harrenhal bath scene in Kissed By Fire/ASOS
> 
> Thanks :)


	31. Thirty One

"Mockingbird?" Jaime questioned as some sort of recognition dawned in his eyes, something that Brienne was instantly thankful for, the green quickly switching from being focused directly on her to rake through the papers she'd passed him instead. 

"Does that actually mean something to you?" she whispered, trying not to hover ominously but still finding herself standing half in and half out of her room. Jaime's presence, and the way he'd stretched his legs out, were taking up a lot of free space and she didn't really want to step over him and around the neatly piled boxes just to feel uncomfortable and claustrophobic with her back against the wall and no easy exit in reach.

"You mean it doesn't to you?" his voice was full of disbelief, as if he couldn't figure out how she'd seen the pattern without some kind of prior background knowledge. 

Brienne shook her head, realising a little late that with his attention focused elsewhere he wouldn't be able to pick up on her non-verbal signals as easily as he usually did.

"I'm assuming that you're not planning on standing in the doorway for the rest of the day", not even looking up Jaime stage whispered across the space, making sure that any member of her team in earshot would be fully aware of who exactly was in their boss' office.

Brienne wondered how much actual truth Pia and the others had garnered from the extensive amount of time the two blonds spent together, especially as Jaime seemed to care less and less about keeping it quiet. Though after his performance with Margaery it remained to be seen if he was interested in little else than shock tactics or maybe claiming a virgin prize for his own. 

"You're sitting on my desk ... it's not as if I can do any work", Brienne folded her arms as determinedly as she could, working on the basis that the quicker she could get through this, the quicker they could get back to Margaery.

Jaime patted a space beside him, still speed reading through what herself, Pia and a handful of Sansa's family contacts had managed to pull together the previous night. "It's a big desk, I'm pretty sure we can continue to avoid each other if you want"

"Margaery's waiting", she tapped her foot once to see if that could tear him away from whatever was so fascinating in the mess he had made out of the papers, knowing it was a huffy move and something not fitting to a woman of her station.

"A little longer won't kill her", Jaime glanced up, his eyes searching as if to find where the girl he'd manoeuvred out of her own office had disappeared to, having now reached the final page of the folder. "What do I owe you for this?"

Brienne was teetering between annoyance and shock, no matter if he wanted to push her away now she hadn't originally decided to help only to be treated like a contractor when the end result came through. It hadn't been an easy task, but even though she'd broken a company rule for him, she had also discovered what exactly friends would do for each other.

Pia had finally managed to put her non stop talking to good use and had chatted or flirted her way past the security staff and into the main basement records room. Brienne wasn't sure which one she would have approved of less, but then she'd never really seen the benefit of flirting. It seemed to be something beautiful people did to throw others off guard.

The talents of the assistant had turned up late at her apartment by way of a bag of photocopying and an armful of files, adding to the photographs that the blonde girl had taken earlier in the day, Brienne hoping that they at least had half of a puzzle to put back together.

Though it turned out to be Sansa, their own woman on the inside, who got closest to the pattern. Her fresh eyes, personal involvement and excitement for the mystery had pushed the teenager on long into the night when the other two women had been losing ground for hours.

By the time Brienne woke up that morning, after less hours sleep than she would have really liked, the suspects had been narrowed to a mere handful with Mockingbird being placed, following a recommendation from a friend of the redhead, straight at the top of the list.

"Six hours sleep would be nice", she answered Jaime's question with the first thing that came to her mind, almost forgetting how hard the right hand comment had hit.

"Take a sick day and spend it in bed then. You must have some you've refused to take", Jaime's response was about as blunt as she'd had been expecting. 

"Though Brienne", he played with her name as he finally moved himself off her desk, tucking the folder full of secrets under his jacket, "I will find a way to pay this debt"

When he was mere inches away from her on his way out of the door, close enough that her frustrated whisper wouldn't be heard by anybody else, she hissed her confusion out at him.

"Don't play with me"

"What if I apologised instead?" Jaime murmured back, his voice as low as hers.

"Why ... why would you do that? You don't .... you want ...", Brienne searched for the right words but nothing she came up with could thoroughly describe what she was thinking.

Jaime of course had no such trouble.

"You should know that you've done a fine job, lesser men would have tried to kill me long before now and I wouldn't have trusted a lesser woman"

His lips brushed her cheek as he moved passed, words warm in her ear still designed to shock, leaving her feeling utterly bewildered to why he couldn't handle a simple touch but insisted on mentioning things that were far, far beyond it.

"And if I really wanted to play with you I'd make sure you were wearing a lot less clothes"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a little longer, don't know why but I hoped you enjoyed reading it :)


	32. Thirty Two

Brienne felt Jaime's words settle over her like a fine layer of dust, her heartbeat quickening audibly in the ear his breath had just invaded and it wasn't just embarrassment that fuelled the fire that sent a burn from her chest to her cheeks.

Jaime was still close, not quite half way out the door, as if he was waiting for her to catch up and provide him with yet another beautifully flustered reaction. Every kiss, every touch, every thought had been on his terms and all she had been able to do was return whatever he threw at her. 

Though if he'd seen the next one coming then he was far more astute than she had given him credit for.

"You're still ... treating me ... like a game", Brienne reiterated as she reached out and grabbed Jaime's wrist before he could step out of reach and into the hall. If he wanted to make the Tyrell girl wait a little longer, then she too could go along with that but only if the outcome would be at least ten seconds of truth.

It would be too much of an insult to describe the tall blond man as anything less than strong, and though Brienne was trying to keep calm as with too many prying eyes and listening ears her office was the worst place to ask the questions she wanted, her power won out in the end.

Jaime looked even more arrogant than usual as she yanked him away from the world according to Stark Industries and back into her personal space.

For a second there was a slight look of something akin to worry flow through his eyes as she spun with him away from the door and back towards her desk, the green flickering and darkening despite the bright artificial lights above them. 

His face had hardened though by the time she made him sit down in her chair, a mask of arrogance and amusement that she'd come to know, and Brienne didn't have a clue what she was going to do with him now that control had shifted ever so slightly.

"Why ... me?", she settled on, the quiver in her voice betraying all the carefully orchestrated moves and Jaime knew it too if the type of grin that spread across his face was anything to go by.

"Why not you?" his response was measured, trying to ease it's way into all the little chinks in her armour. 

"There's a ... hundred girls out there, all ... most of them who would ... die for this sort of ... attention. So. Why. Me?"

It took him a long time to answer, so long in fact that Brienne took to counting along with the ticks of her watch until he thoroughly considered her outburst.

"One hundred girls but only one like you", there was no conductivity in his tone now, though Brienne couldn't be sure she would have guessed he was more pissed off with that fact than anything closer to his previous come ons.

"And how many?", she swallowed hard, "How many ... have you pulled ... this stunt ... this routine with?"

"Only you"

That somehow made it worse rather than better, especially when she could see every syllable of truth shining and reflecting in emerald. She'd been here before but not one of those freshman boys had been anywhere close to as convincing as Jaime Lannister.

Bolstered by past actions Brienne took two steps forward, though she failed to prevent the little slip that occurred when one of the brochures she'd been working on ended up underfoot, sending her flying.

"Didn't I already warn you about walking into dangerous things?", Jaime's chuckle was in her head as he caught her before she could end up more bruised than embarrassed.

"You did ... it didn't work", his arms were around her waist, hers around his shoulders set in the mockery of a hug.

"Apparently", he laughed again as she pulled away, though not before she failed to control the urge to caress along the collar of his jacket.

Though her skin barely grazed his, Jaime flinched as the touched landed and Brienne found herself fighting a much more violent urge.

"I disgust you then", she muttered, mainly to herself as she shrunk away from him.

"I can't get you out of my head"

"What?", Brienne spun around but Jaime was already away.

"Don't ask me to repeat myself", he growled back, as if he had barely admitted it to himself.

Brienne found the sudden heat running through her wanted him to repeat it a hundred thousand times just to make sure she'd heard right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I only wish every chapter was as easy to write as this one :)


	33. Thirty Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to everyone who's been reading and everyone who's commented.
> 
> This feels like a bit of a nothing chapter though, sorry

"Miss ... I mean Brienne", Pod called out after the rapidly retreating blonde woman as Brienne tried to follow Jaime down the corridor at a more sensible pace than the one her heart was forcing through her.

Remembering that they had rather unprofessionally left a client downstairs, and not just any client but an heiress with enough money to probably buy the company outright, Brienne turned and attempted to look at the young man pleasantly.

"Are ... you ok? We heard ... he's ...", the half smile that tugged at her had little to do with keeping face, Brienne was genuinely touched by his concern. She nodded twice, knowing where ever possible to limit the opportunities to embarrass the poor lad anymore than usual.

She caught Jaime pausing out of the corner of her eye, back against the door, just waiting and Brienne fixed her mind on to the Tyrell's and as far away from the blond man who's odd little outburst was making her wonder about all the possibilities he may or may not have been considering.

Work now, she breathed, think later, though it was becoming difficult to keep a throughly clear mind with Jaime refusing to drop his gaze as she walked along the seemingly mile long corridor towards him.

It still felt like there was a storm cloud over his head, as he over gallantly held the door open, though the darkness was brightening more and more with each passing second as if the threat of a violent downpour had passed by with little more than a few drops of rain.

"How do you manage to inspire such utter devotion?" he asked as Brienne fell into earshot and his tone was so ambiguous that she had no idea if he was genuinely surprised or trying to get a rise out of her yet again.

She didn't, or at least tried not to, give him the pleasure of the latter.

"I'm. Good"

He regarded her very carefully, and she wondered what sort of trap she'd inevitably found herself stuck in this time. 

"I'm torn between saying I know and I bet", he murmured suggestively and that was exactly what she hadn't needed to hear two minutes before dealing with what could be the most important person she had ever met.

"Can't you just shut up for once?" Brienne muttered back, not realising she'd let the thought be spoken until Jaime chuckled at her.

"Aye aye captain", he grinned, "But that might make the next hour a little difficult"

She forced the blush away, though her skin wasn't cooperating as easily as she would have liked, "It might ... make the next hour ... easier"

He laughed properly then, and Brienne saw the metaphorical cloud almost evaporate completely.

She took a huge breath, figuring now was as good a time as any to ask. "And later, maybe, I mean you don't have to if you don't want to, can you tell me about Mockingbird?", she knew she sounded like an idiot but it was only the prospect of more alone time that was pushing her in that direction. She had done all that work, all that sneaking around, so an explanation didn't seem like too much to ask.

"Pizza, drowning in olives", Jaime snarked but the smile in his voice wasn't the only smile threatening in the shared space.

 

Margaery Tyrell was as good as her word and had signed everything Pia had put in front of her, an act of complete trust.

"Are we ready?" the brunette asked, standing politely to attention as the pair entered the room. There was a clear question under the question and Brienne nodded apologetically.

Margaery looked like she was trying hard to contain something else, but instead plastered a knowing smile on her face and switched back into professional mode, managing to make Brienne feel even guiltier over acting younger than she was.

Surprisingly after the rocky start, the meeting ran as smooth as silk. Jaime found all the right words, she had numbers, strategies, solutions and the heiress left with a genuine smile.

Although she couldn't resist one last chat with the young blonde before she went.

"If there is ever a threat of this mess happening again", Margaery's voice dropped and Brienne wondered just how much trouble she was in, "Give me a call and I'll find you two a room in one of Daddy's hotels. You're a good team but you need to keep the rest of it out of the workplace if you want to be taken seriously"

"... Thank you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's unlikely that there'll be double daily updates from now on due to real life and the fact that I'm finally writing ... Butterflies again
> 
> Thanks again :)


	34. Thirty Four

Brienne wasn’t sure how a couple of hours could feel simultaneously like they’d dragged and flown equally but when the time came to turn the lights off in her room and head along to see Jaime about Mockingbird, it seemed as if both a complete eternity and barely a second had passed since Margaery’s terrifyingly exciting answer to a growing problem.

Of course he hadn’t actually been in his office when she’d arrived, the whole corridor being deserted like a bell had been rang to signal the end of the day and everyone had scurried away at their first chance. Although Jaime had made sure to prop his door open, a welcoming invitation, and for him at least pushing towards considerate.

The newly decorated office felt odd in the silence, stepping into the dim glow seeming to Brienne almost as if she had stepped into someone else’s clothes that didn’t quite fit properly. Lannister red and gold were constricting in their presence and she wondered how Jaime coped with the overbearing aura of power and prestige.

The desk phone screeched out suddenly, making her jump in the suffocating empty space. Much like the man himself it seemed that everything in Jaime's office had been put there specifically to make her feel slightly on edge today. 

Glancing down at her watch she realised that as it was now well past official opening hours it was highly unlikely that anyone calling at that time would really be expecting an answer.

Still, as far as she was aware Jaime did have some bizarre working patterns, she had the rambling 3am emails to prove it, and there was always the possibility of a family emergency that he needed to be made aware of immediately. Though, as the other half of her brain argued back, there was a reason why the company had a voicemail service and that wasn’t just to prevent awkward phone conversations.

With the noise continuing to clatter around inside her head, grinding her resolve down, the sensible side of her won out as usual, and she had the receiver to her ear as quick as if it was her own phone.

“Jaime Lannister’s office”, she sweetly answered, praying that she sounded enough like Pia for the usual significant difference not to be noticed.

She wasn’t that lucky.

“And that doesn’t sound like my dear brother at all”, a laughing tinny voice replied, “To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking to?”

“Can I take a message?” she asked, not really wanting to give her name to the amused voice, assuming that it was Jaime’s infamous younger brother Tyrion. Being mocked and teased by two Lannister’s in one day was probably going to be a little too much for her.

“Only if you give me your name first. I’d like to know which of you Starks he managed to get on his side”

She sighed inwardly, realising that now probably wasn't the best time to be overly stubborn. "Brienne Tarth, and I don’t work for the Starks, I work for Catelyn”

“Brienne? You’re the marketing wen … girl correct?” Tyrion definitely sounded like he knew exactly who she was and her muscles tensed waiting for whatever was coming next. “Tell Jaime I rang and said hello, but there’s no rush to call me back”

Jaime wandered back in about ten seconds later to find her staring at the receiver as if it could jump up and hit her.

“Your brother called … I think”, she tried to explain as he knocked on his own office door to get her attention.

“You think?” the smile was gone from  his voice in an instant, "My brother is quite distinctive, thinking isn't enough you should really know"

“He didn’t give his name but … he asked mine … and then he hung up”

She looked across the room and was met by an indecipherable look, though there was also a clear note of bemusement hiding in there. "I've got half a mind to kill him later"

Only half, she thought, but something else came out of her mouth. "Do you ... talk ... about me I mean ... to him?"

Jaime rolled his eyes affectionately. "All the time", he drawled.

There may have been more than a little truth in that she considered and didn't want to stop the smile she sent him in response.

"You're awfully full of yourself all of a sudden"

"We got the Tyrell's", though she wondered how much quicker they could have done the same job if they had been adult about the situation.

"We", he grinned at the pronoun and Brienne liked it more than she probably should have done, "But you got Margaery'd. What exactly did she say to turn you such a, delicious, shade of scarlet?"

Jaime was still keeping his distance, for now, but it wouldn't really matter how close he was when he was looking at her like that. If felt like he was right on top of her even from the other side of the room.

"Did you know her dad's got a hotel in the city?" she blustered, looking away, half the truth being better than the whole truth in this instance.

"Of course I do, I drive past ...", she glanced back to see his eyes change, reading something on her face. "Now wench why would a hotel make you so uneasy?"

"Can we talk about Mockingbird now?", she interrupted, her voice sounding far more strained than she realised it would be.

"And here I was thinking you wanted to get me alone so that we could pick up where we left off. I thought you might be using it as a code word. Whisper mockingbird and we would", he gestured at the floor and her heart just about stopped, "It is really quite comfortable down there"

Brienne gripped the desk in front of her, feeling a little like she assumed being drunk must feel like, "I want to know what it means"

"You don't want anything else?" he eyed up her blush and her tell tale quickening breath, which didn't help either.

Brienne shook her head slowly.

"Has anyone told you that you're a terrible liar?", Jaime purred as he crept ever so slightly closer.

Every day Brienne thought, desperately trying to control every single one of her baser reactions to his consciously slow advance.

"Mockingbird?", she repeated

"Sit down"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit meandering sorry but hopefully there was something in there that was likeable/enjoyable


	35. Thirty Five

Brienne settled herself down in Jaime's desk chair, feeling the material hug at her as she shifted, trying to find the most comfortable position before he continued.

"Why don't you come down to my level?" he shook his head from where he'd dropped to the carpet, almost at her feet but still just out of reach. "You look like you're about to explode sitting there"

She felt like she might explode if he got any closer, but as he patted and rubbed at the floor beside him she slid out of the chair and down. No grace to the movement her butt hit the floor with a thud and Jaime almost laughed, Brienne saw him bite that one back as she glared.

"Are you happy now?" she asked, arms folded around her knees, pulling them up to her chest in a protective move.

"Ecstatic", he grinned at her, inches away now but she folded in on herself to appear as small as humanly possible and to keep the gap between them. Yet another reaction she hadn't really meant to give away.

"You would know all of this if you were older than nineteen", Jaime snarked, staring out the window over the city lights.

"I'm twenty four!", she snapped back, wondering where this conversation was actually going.

"Oh I know", his smile was brief but genuine, "I think I must have been the only one to remember your birthday"

Brienne wasn't likely to forget that. In general office birthdays were celebrated quite outlandishly, cake and presents and the like, but she had tried and succeeded in keeping hers under wraps for almost two years until Jaime had come along and filled her office with balloons for no apparent reason other than he thought it would be funny.

"Mockingbird, Jaime", and she thought the look he sent her at that should be practically illegal. It was as if she'd snuck a glance at his thoughts, and he was slowly figuring out she was something incredible.

Suppressing a ridiculous shiver that threatened, Brienne repeated herself, "Mockingbird?"

"Mockingbird was a failed business venture about ten years ago. It was supposed to be a union between Catelyn's family, The Tully's and a man called Petyr Baelish"

Brienne considered this for a second, "Baelish the political advisor?"

"Well done, I see you have been paying some attention to more than the baseball scores, but he wasn't an advisor back then. Only a man on the climb. The idea, which I'm sure my father was involved with somehow, fell through about a third of the way into the development and Baelish was left with nothing"

"How do you ... know all this? And why does he ... want ... you ... out of here?"

"He's in love with Catelyn Stark. I'm guessing he has been for a long time."

That wasn't really an explanation, Brienne thought, not for all of it anyway. "Why does he hate you?"

Jaime laughed at her, as if she'd somehow ended up in a completely different county with the way her brain had handled that information. "Why do any of them hate me? I'm a man without honour remember"

"I don't hate you"

"You've got bigger problems than that", he muttered back before continuing, "And I'm the easiest of targets, sitting here in Stark territory, why not make me a traitor too?"

"Baelish keeps his nose clean and I'm sent back where I belong. Everyone's happy"

"Are you happy?" his words, the spitting anger behind them pulled the tiny question out of Brienne, falling rapidly towards intimate and apprehension hung in the air as if she'd actually asked something more pertinent.

"When has that ever mattered?"

Jaime's defeatist attitude once again affected her more than the whispers of lust in her bones and she unfolded herself quickly, meaning to stand up and walk out. 

"Fight. Back"

Brienne placed her hand on the floor to push herself up but in the process brushed against Jaime's outstretched fingers ever so slightly. There was a barely a twitch that time but he did pull slowly away and in that instance she found it wasn't just Baelish she wanted him to fight back against.

"What do you ... want ... from me?"

There was a beat and she thought Jaime was going to snap, he'd done it before and it never seemed to be too far away so she was more than half way to her feet when his hand closed around her arm.

"Nothing", he admitted bitterly and Brienne pushed him off in confusion, her stomach swirling with the force behind the single utterance. 

"And everything"

That one hit her harder, the idea just as harshly told as the previous one.

"It ... this .... doesn't need to be more than ... this", she sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than him as she fully stood up.

"I think it already is", Jaime rose with her, arm going to her waist to pull her closer but she was already there.

Thinking back to what had happened the last time they'd been in the golden space alone Brienne whispered loud enough for him to hear.

"Screw it"

Jaime's eyes lit up like Christmas lights at her promised boldness, so much easier for him to enjoy that than the tender touches Brienne realised, allowing her to tangle a hand in his hair to finally take control of the coming embrace for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I think I'm nearly done with this as it's dragged on long enough. It may hit 40 but it'll not go on much past that.
> 
> Oh and the next chapter is already in draft!


	36. Thirty Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter that wouldn't end! I've written and re-written about fifty times and I'm still not completely happy so just see this as a kissing interlude.

As she met Jaime's lips once again it felt to Brienne that their first kiss really couldn't have been anything more than a promise, the momentary let up of a sweet tension she'd barely noticed building, never truly wanting to acknowledge the buried forever maybes she had kept in a dark space at the back of her mind. It had always been maybe Renly, the lines between dark and light blurring ever so slowly that it had become only Jaime before she could even consider exactly when the change had occurred.

Though as she found herself in the breaking golden glow of a veritable thunderstorm of sensation, all she wanted to do was stand in the changing pressure system until every tiny touch had quivered it's way across the surface of her already electrified skin.

Of course that particular desire was as close to impossible as she had ever been; the clashing thunder growling and reverberating in her head, forcing her forward to meet as many challenges as she could coming from Jaime's fiercely determined touches.

She took every chance to push back against his desire for control, lips and tongues providing a barely silent battle better than any of the verbal ones they'd ever had, finding that her sudden boldness was enough to assist clumsy fingers to search out skin hidden under layers of expensive fabric.

Brienne couldn't have said who's idea it had been to drop long moments later, half falling onto future bruised knees into the welcoming embrace of cushioned scarlet, but the pain of knocked bones was nothing compared to the rush provided by everything this stupidly pretty man had apparently awoken in her tonight. 

Jaime's hands at her waist continued to grip, pushing her shirt to her ribs in the process, like he was eking out softness he would never find. Still that didn't stop him searching as she hovered over him joined by lips and fingertips only, not stopping in any one place for long as if he wanted to map out as much as possible.

There was something akin to a pull in her stomach, completely removed from the swirling seasick feeling that had easily passed her by, Jaime's hands falling around her hips to encourage her further down into the floor. She let him take her into the descent, other things rising in her as compensation.

Her knees gave out, falling at the same exact second Jaime bucked up, an unusually needy muffled sound slipping out of him and Brienne's eyes flew open at the sudden pressure under her.

"Can you ...? Does it ... hurt?" she whispered, all confidence leaving her as soon as the realisation dawned that kissing, especially the kind of heated kissing they had for some reason been exchanging, often led to other things. Things that could need Margaery Tyrell's offer after all.

"It feels ...", Jaime's mouth continued to nip at her skin as he considered his next phrase. "Exactly how it's supposed to"

"I think ...  I should ... move ... now", Brienne mumbled back, escaping from his arms and the situation in general to wait until her breath had caught up with her, back against a wall as if she needed it to hold her up.

"Is there a way you could actually look more terrified right now?" Jaime asked, his voice surprisingly steady considering their previous activities though she thought there was a note of disappointment rather than concern in his tone.

"You started this", he accused gently  as Brienne discovered that it was probably best to treat that last question as rhetorical. She forced herself to look anywhere but down, her failure causing a blush to move like the earlier sunset up over her neck, her jaw, her cheeks, an army of embarrassment and lust fighting against her freckled soldiers.

"It seems I'm not entirely immune to the charms of a soft sighing girl in my lap", Jaime murmured, sounding like it was more a note to himself than any statement Brienne should take to heart.

"I wasn't ... sighing", she spat straight back, not allowing it to lie as the heat under her skin finally began to cool.

"Sigh. Moan. Same difference", Jaime sent a boyish grin up at her not, causing him to look far younger than he should have done in that instant and with it doing nothing to help with Brienne's resolve, the rare strands of silver in his hair having disappeared into the muss of gold she'd produced.

"You ... you were too", she settled on finally, not really a decent comeback but it was all she could think of relatively quickly.

"I was?" Jaime smiled as he moved fluidly to his feet, not even bothering to fasten a single one of the buttons she had eagerly undone in her surprising haste to get to skin. "Of course I was. There's something called enjoyment Brienne, if you haven't come across the concept before it involves ...."

"I know what enjoyment is", she interrupted, trying to stare him down as he wandered over with not a care in the world to lean against the wall next to her.

"Can you let your face know that then?"

Her hands flew up, trying to cover as much as possible as if to hide away whatever he thought he could see. "My face is none of your concern"

"It is when I find it pressed against mine. Again", he paused and snuck a glance out of the corner of his eye, "Or, for that matter, any other body part. Your hands for example aren't wholly unpleasant and your thighs, well ..."

He let that one hang and Brienne jumped to half a dozen conclusions before settling on one she thought most likely to stop his current thought pattern. 

"What if ... I LIKE you like you?"

Jaime chuckled, as if he had known that particular piece of information already, "Well that would be ... interesting. Though I don't think I've ever heard an adult describe it that way before. Wait", she saw the mock concern on his face as his hand reached to half grip, half caress the inch of bare skin that remained uncovered between the bottom of her shirt and waistband. "How old are you again?"

His fingers dipped around her navel and if she hadn't sighed before, she did then. "There we go", he murmured but she removed his probing touch before it could dip any lower.

"I'm old enough to know that if", Brienne made the emphasis very clear on the last word, "We are going to ... continue ... then we need ... a better ... environment ... to do so in"

"Work now, play later", Jaime translated her stumbling phrases.

"Petyr Baelish isn't going away"

"I should send that man a bloody fruit basket for being the reason you came here tonight", Jaime was almost being as flippant as usual but she shot him what she hoped was a withering stare anyway.

"We need coffee ... and a plan", Brienne told him, pulling herself back to fit into work mode.

"Can I just do one thing first?" he asked, all amusement gone from his voice, her eyes growing huge and possibly overwhelmingly blue as Jaime stepped up close and started to unfasten her shirt.

"What are ... you ... doing?"

"Testing a theory", Jaime muttered as he pushed the material back off her shoulders, his careful gaze noting the dancing patterns of freckles across her skin and nodded before carefully moving everything back to it's rightful place.

"A plan?" he asked slowly, eyebrow raised, "You want to bring Baelish down? I didn't think you would have it in you"

"I want to tell Catelyn", Brienne's response was firm as she decided that was the only honourable thing to do.

"We need more evidence before I'm taking it anywhere near the she wolf", the bile in Jaime's voice rose slightly and she pulled completely away.

"I'm not going anywhere"

"Except to get coffee", he pointed out, adding a smile at her unimpressed look, "You offered"

She remembered the way Margaery had looked at him to silently put him in his place and attempted a similar glare, only succeeding in making him laugh. 

"Brienne", his hand was back on her shoulder, leaning in again although there was absolutely no one else around to hear what he was about to say.

"There may be a possibility that I LIKE you like you too, though right about now I'd like that coffee more"

Brienne shirked the older man off her, pushing his wickedly happy face away from hers, only allowing the tiny smile to appear on her face until she was half way down the corridor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this I think 5 was an underestimate so I'll just stop guessing how long any of these things are going to go on for!


	37. Thirty Seven

It didn't take Jaime all that long to realise there were a number of things about Brienne that he hadn't been entirely stretching the truth about. 

His colleague, though she was definitely pushing beyond work friend if most of her earlier performance was anything to go by, was a bizarre mix of inexperience and growing enthusiasm which in the flesh was far more satisfying than any one of his half drunk fantasies about her. Although that may have had a lot to do with the fact he hadn't had anything but a fantasy to keep him occupied for a very long time indeed.

If it hadn't been for her eyes, and those bloody freckles, Jaime would have been content to leave it as it was. Probably. But as it was he wondered if maybe next time they were both craving some human contact he could possibly steer Brienne in the direction of a sofa or a bed. The floor of his office had ended up being not quite as comfortable as he'd perceived.

He may have been approaching middle age; though in the mix of whatever else had been going on when her lips had been against his, her palms against his chest, Jaime had felt something he'd previously only associated with a happy care free point in his twenties. It was the reoccurrence of that warmth, that made him momentarily consider if there could be any strange small chance that one day maybe him and Brienne Tarth would be good for each other.

"So...", he turned to see the girl in question, woman he corrected as after continual first hand knowledge it was beginning to almost seem wrong to refer to Brienne in his head as anything less, her large frame looming in the doorway. Two steaming cups kept her hands steady but she was still noticeably unsure of how exactly to proceed after what had just happened. 

As she paused the dim glow of the security light in the corridor washed over her homely features, a surprising wave of radiance, and for the smallest of moments Jaime found himself thinking that she almost looked beautiful. 

"Where exactly do you think ... we ... should start?" her voice trickled back into his consciousness, an icy grasp of insistence to help pull him back from the edge of illusion and into the waiting embrace of the Mockingbird.

Jaime sent her a smile that was bordering on a smirk, hopefully covering up everything he'd been thinking, as he replied, "And here I was thinking that since you were the one that brought it up, you'd have at least spent a minute trying to figure it out"

"It's been ten ..", Brienne looked down and he saw her shoulders drop as she let out an exasperated breath, "Eight minutes, Jaime"

"And you couldn't spare one of those to think about Baelish?", he met her eyes and grinned smugly, "I do feel honoured"

"Don't be", for once her face remained pale and freckled as he watched, unmarred by any type of additional colour. "You're not that important"

"But I am, otherwise you wouldn't keep coming here", Jaime wasn't sure if that particular statement was more for her benefit or for his.

Brienne patted the non-descript file on the table as she sat down, ignoring his earlier comment in the process. The small act of silence felt infinitely worse than any kind of comeback she could have thought up. "If ... what you told me is true ... about Catelyn and Petyr and your father I mean ... what more do we need than this?"

"Are you really that naive?", he wondered out loud as she pushed a cup across to him, the contents splashing with her forceful movement, the power behind the shove no doubt assisted by his current tone. "Or do you just not listen?"

"I'm trying not to listen to rumours if that's what you're referring to"

Even with the indignation hanging on every word, Jaime found it funny that her mind would jump to that assumption straight away. Although in this case she was completely right to go there.

"Rumours are exactly why Catelyn Stark isn't going to completely believe that piece of sublime deductive reasoning", he explained slowly.

"You think", Brienne sipped at whatever hot pink liquid she had in her cup, looking across at one of her partners in crime like she couldn't figure out how much sarcasm had been in his previous comment.

"Ask Tarly"

"Sam?", she was starting to turn the same colour as her tea, Jaime noticed.

"He thinks it's quite sweet the way we've been sneaking around", he paused to watch what Brienne would do with that information and wasn't disappointed with the slight squirming result. "The rest of them think I've ... corrupted ... you"

"Like hell you have!", she was burgeoning on seriously angry and Jaime thought maybe he'd pushed as far as he should for now, but there had been no reason he could see why Brienne shouldn't have known the truth.

He winked and she glared. "Not yet anyway"

"Jaime?!", Brienne reprimanded as she thumbed through the Mockingbird copies nervously, "It just seems ... a bit of a waste to not give it to her"

"Trust me, it wasn't a waste"

The corner of her mouth twitched and Jaime knew she was fighting against her better judgement to smile at him.

"It's wonderful to watch you wrestle with all of this", he snarked and the smile disappeared as he expected.

Brienne placed the file back to blend in with the pile of red, green and blue on the surface in front of her. "Well it's not as if you or me can just walk up and ask Petyr Baelish the truth."

"How exactly is that a bad idea?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The wonderful to watch you wrestle line is slightly paraphrased from Dark Wings, Dark Words.


	38. Thirty Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay, I had some stuff happen yesterday that I had to deal with.
> 
> This chapter should be rated E for exposition

Six am was far too early to be going anywhere on a Sunday morning, Brienne thought as she paused to check the flashing departures board at the city train station. Even on a normal weekend, one where she hadn’t agreed to accompany Jaime Lannister to a corporate political event being run by The Baelish Institute, she wouldn’t have left her bed for at least another half hour. The pool, after all, didn’t open until seven.

She appreciated the quiet though, the near silence of the early morning, as she waited in the cold for Jaime to show himself. Much like their meetings that week, Brienne felt he was being deliberately obnoxious by appearing at the least convenient time possible but as the reasons why she had actually decided to do this were all still a bit of a blur in her head, it at least gave her some time to think.

She had somewhat unsuccessfully tried to explain that her spoken half thought was in no way the foundation for a well organised plan, though as her debating powers had never quite fully formed Jaime was always going to be quicker at finding an appropriate response. Even if some of his retorts weren't exactly work related. 

By the time he had descended into new levels of mock flirting, so much so Brienne wondered if he would mind shutting up long enough to allow them to make out like teenagers again, she'd realised that it was time for her to be the bigger person and leave since nothing further could be done at that time on a Friday evening. She'd bundled her file away as she told him to call her once he had a plan that went beyond step one, which Brienne thought would give her at the very least a couple of days.

So it was a surprise that the call had come a few minutes after she had stepped through her front door, finding that Sansa was still occupying her sofa but the teenager had attempted to tidy the apartment at some point during the day, in a display of gratitude Brienne guessed.

However the shock lessened quite a bit when she learnt from Jaime that without his brother neither of them would have stood a chance of getting anywhere close to Petyr Baelish. 

Originally he had asked her to go the corporate event in Kingsland for the entire weekend, as a representative of Stark Industries she wouldn't have a problem being let in he promised; but as Brienne explained about her charity run with Pod the following day, she'd almost heard Jaime genuinely smile down the phone at her. So Sunday it became.

Pia had personally messengered the tickets over the next morning, commenting that Jaime had a bad habit of showing up about two minutes before things were scheduled to depart and Brienne seemed the far more trustworthy member of the pair. The assistant hadn't been wrong, the guard was just about to blow his whistle to signal for the doors to close when Jaime came sauntering on to the platform, looking to the whole world like he wasn't fifteen minutes later than had been agreed.

A normal person would have apologised and for a second it appeared that his half smile was going in that direction until he noticed the excessive luggage she had for a day trip.

"Were you planning on seducing me?" he joked as he fell into earshot, pointing at the tiny overnight bag Sansa had insisted she take along just in case. Brienne had tried to tell her house guest that the reason they were taking the train was to avoid an overnight stay, but Sansa had packed and re-packed it for her at some point in the night and it appeared the redhead's powers of persuasion were almost as good as Jaime's.

"For future reference", Jaime continued languidly without waiting for an explanation, "A bag kind of takes away the surprise. And I do like surprises"

"Come on", she pointed at the train firmly as the familiar prickling heat flowed up her neck, not feeling like there was very much more to say at that point.

"Wait a minute", he paused and Brienne could have hit him, "Why haven't you been in your seat for the last ten minutes like the Girl Scout you are?"

"I ... I'm not ... I don't know"

Jaime held her eyes with his, a net she couldn't escape, but he wasn't looking to embarrass her too much that time. "Thank you"

She didn't get a chance to ask what it was for as Jaime was finally moving forward and Brienne thought that his tiny acknowledgment was about as much as she may ever get from him in that regard.

 

Jaime's grateful mood barely lasted until they found their seats though, the switch back to mocking amusement having been pushed somewhere along the corridor.

"What are you doing?" he asked as she began to set out her lap top, "You do realise this is not a scheduled work trip and perhaps, you could allow yourself to have a little fun?"

She regarded his widening grin in the reflection of her screen before responding, "I'm just checking a few things." Brienne didn't add that she thought if this wasn't treat like a work trip then killing each other might not be the only thing they would want to do by the end of the day. 

"Are you saying ... that you're fun?", her brows knitted together as she considered that.

"I'm a lot of fun", his words were little more than a low murmur as he moved far too close, no doubt to see if the jobs she had to check were as boring as he expected them to be. "At times"

"Get over yourself Lannister", she grumbled, mainly to herself, but Jaime was right beside her by then and able to hear every word.

"Jaime", his name was almost all breath in her ear and as she turned her head to reiterate her comment their noses bumped briefly.

"Brienne", she whispered back, taking her chance to remind him, "No more ... wench's ... or woman's .... or anything else"

"Brienne", he agreed, the movement of his lips nearly brushing against hers, sending a shiver of something unresolved through her. Trying desperately to find any fault with his face as they both appeared to be stuck in the moment for now, Brienne thought he looked as tired as she had ever seen him and that this close up his eyelashes were really quite ridiculous on a man.

Luckily, to prevent any further burning heat from pouring off her face in embarrassment, the noise of the seat opposite them being filled managed to snap them both out of the reverie. She coughed, half in shame and half in apology, Jaime moving but keeping eye contact all the way back to an appropriate distance.

They didn't talk again for a long time after that almost touch, the silence between them straddling the line of comfortableness as Brienne worked through all the queries she could without her team around her.

"You're playing solitaire!" Jaime crowed triumphantly a little while later, as if he had caught her doing something terrible; watching her through flickering eyelids, fighting what must have been his body's severe need to rest despite the oncoming sunrise.

"I've done as much as I can and ..."

"You're trying to have fun? Not quite what I had in mind but it's a start", he grinned slowly through his fatigue, unbelievably sexy without even trying she thought before the idea could be squashed. "Since I've now successfully been enough of a bad influence to stop you from working, I'm going to see if I can't manage to get a little sleep before we meet up with my brother"

Either he was able to fall asleep anywhere or he was an incredible actor Brienne thought as Jaime visibly relaxed next to her, eyes gently closing and breathing settling into a slow even rhythm in seconds.

Three and a half hours like this she could definitely deal with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On an unrelated note, for those of you reading this who also read ...Butterflies the next chapter will finally be up tomorrow :)


	39. Thirty Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who's reading, kudos-ing and commenting. I'm really enjoying reading everyone's feedback :)

Brienne removed an ear bud, trying not to move any other part of her body, as the driver's voice came through the announcement system to let the remaining passengers know the next stop would be Kingsland in approximately twenty-five minutes. She snuck at glance down at Jaime as the tinny sound blared, to find he was still fast asleep with his head against her shoulder. It wasn't exactly comfortable, her arm was starting to tingle under his weight, but he at least looked content in his current position.

"Your boyfriend's a pretty heavy sleeper." The grey haired man who had been sitting opposite them for most of the journey commented, not unkindly, as Jaime snored gently in response to the announcement.

Brienne stifled a rare laugh that had bubbled up in her throat, her travelling companion was apparently no less able to find a retort when unconscious than when he was wide awake and on his best form.

"He's not ...", she began automatically before realising that a complete stranger wouldn't really care what they were to each other, and having sat with them for several hours it may have been unfortunately rather easy to jump to that sort of conclusion. So with a tiny polite smile she resigned herself to something closer to the truth, "... usually like this."

"You may want to pack up your things." The other passenger advised as Jaime pushed his head into her neck,  his easy exhales causing a battalion of goosebumps to march along her arms and down her back in waves despite the temperature controlled compartment.

"We're only twenty minutes or so out."

Brienne's second smile was a little less forced but that may have been helped by the splayed semi-conscious hand across her hip rather than the kindness of a stranger. She half wondered if Jaime was actually aware of what he was doing, or if he was just acting out whatever was going on in his head and she happened to be the warm body he was pressed against at the time.

She fought the compulsion to pet him like a cat as he stilled against her, wishing that she too had the ability to sleep so peacefully in a crowded space. It wouldn't have been the worse idea she'd ever had to put her head back and doze, though it wouldn't really help her right now. Kingsland had already started to loom, much larger than she had imagined, over the oncoming elaborate station.

The train shuddered to a halt, the change in momentum stirring Jaime from his dreams enough to allow him to nuzzle into her, pressing an almost loving kiss to the soft skin under her ear. The prickle of his stubble against the almost untouched skin made her shiver, his touch burning as much as some of his earlier caustic remarks and not only where his lips had landed. 

"Morning." He mumbled, still mostly somewhere else, and from the tone of his voice Brienne immediately knew he hadn't been faking for a second. She only hoped he wouldn't be too disappointed to wake up and find that whatever or whoever he'd been dreaming about had turned into her.

The pressure left her shoulder, Brienne gently pushing him away now that he was waking and likely to not be that far away from some unsavoury remark, as Jaime stretched himself back into consciousness.

"Are we there already?" He asked, almost in amazement, watching the carriage empty around them. "Didn't we just leave?"

"Four hours ago."

He looked at her in something rounding surprise, the smallest of smiles being considered on his lips, before trying to dismiss the journey in one quick phrase. "You know for such a hard woman you do have quite a soft ... heart"

His eyes were certainly not looking at her heart she noticed, although they rose pretty quickly. Much like the burning embarrassment she was beginning to wish she could give away like a really bad Christmas present.

"I can't say there's anyone I know that would've be happy about having me use them as a pillow." Jaime cocked his head up at her as she stood up, "I think you may be one of a kind Brienne."

She should have said thank you or something similar but having him be nice was sometimes worse than having him be mean. At least she knew where she stood with the latter.

He tried to pick up her bags but she wrestled them back, causing Jaime to laugh as he accidentally bumped against her in the empty but constricted space.

"I can take care of them myself." She informed him as she carefully removed his warm hand from brushing against the small of her back, Jaime having grasped at her and the table behind them as he fell.

He smiled, as yet refusing or not wanting to move that far away from her, clarity slowly returning to his eyes after the extended nap. "Do you take care of everything yourself?"

"Only the important things." She pointed at the door, fighting blushes and her tongue's growing inability to convert thought patterns into words.

"Why don't we ... find your brother?"

 

Tyrion was waiting for them outside as promised, the youngest Lannister sibling not quite what Brienne had been expecting. Far from looking dangerous or debauched as the papers would have everyone believe, the little man looked pleasant and almost pleased that he had two visitors for the day. Despite the circumstances that had brought them there.

He shot Jaime a look that Brienne couldn't follow, guessing that it was obviously a silent sibling exchange that she had no reason to be involved in, though that didn't mean she was being completely ignored.

"You must be Brienne." Tyrion extended his hand and craned his neck up to get a better look at her. "I wish we could have met under better pretences, but it is nice to finally meet the person my brother has told me ...."

A way of tension flew off Jaime beside her and Brienne wondered what she had willingly put herself in the middle of.

Tyrion smiled, not quite as loaded as one of Jaime's but there was a definite family resemblance. "Absolutely nothing about you, so you'll have to fill me in on the way."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well obviously this is going on beyond 40 now, maybe I don't have as much self restraint as I thought ;)


	40. Forty

"The conference hall is about ten minutes walk from here." Brienne told Jaime and Tyrion, bundling her scarf around her neck as she began to set off in the correct direction. She seemed to be the only one who had done any sort of homework, though the men had still not moved to follow her.

Tyrion coughed, remaining in his original position, and as she turned back he was pointing at a huge black car.

"While some of us might have the legs to get there in ten minutes, I'm afraid I might take a little longer." He glanced between her and Jaime with a mocking, self deprecating look, "Plus you'll find the car is far warmer."

Brienne blushed, feeling like she had may have been ambushed by the two brothers who were obviously used to travelling everywhere by chauffeur, as she moved towards the vehicle.

"Ladies first", Tyrion offered as she passed him, Brienne scrambling gracelessly over the leather interior to take a seat in the furthest corner from the open door. Of course she realised after she had sat down that it would have been far easier if she had gone in the other door, but it was too late for that now. Brienne only hoped she hadn't given Jaime too good a view of her butt as she'd fallen into place. 

Jaime settled in next to her, grinning as he managed to get a little closer than was necessary due to the vast size of the back seat, Brienne already being able to feel his warmth seeping through her clothing where he was touching.

"I don't think you'll need this anymore", he unwound her dark blue scarf with careful hands, probably the prettiest thing she owned, and slung it across his lap. "Although this actually isn't a bad colour for you, Tyrion's preferred temperature is a little warmer than even a giantess like you can probably handle. It comes from all the half naked girls he has in here."

Brienne shrunk back a little into the leather, feeling like the current conversation wasn't one she was comfortable being involved with. 

Jaime turned to face his brother, consciously or otherwise settling his hand against the wool across his legs, "Those girls were pretty much naked by the time you took them home the other night, right?"

Tyrion smiled back, clearly used to this level of ribaldry, "I believe the words used in the tabloids were semi-nude."

"My brother", he told Brienne, letting her in on the joke, "Half gentlemen, half whore hunter."

Brienne tried not to be overly shocked as the car suddenly stopped, "I'm sure ... those girls weren't ... I mean I wouldn't think ..."

Tyrion kindly stopped her before she could mumble on, adding a look at Jaime she hoped was asking him to stop embarrassing her. However it could have been about almost anything, they seemed to have their own non-verbal language all worked out.

"They were very nice let's leave it there."

Brienne smiled back in thanks for the finality of that statement, opening the door at her side and stepping out into what now felt like an Arctic world. The first thing to catch her eye wasn't The Baelish Institute's neat black and white building though, her gaze instead settling on the massive hotel crowding the skyline.

Tyrion noticed her staring as he exited the car. "The Tyrell's are on a major expansion kick at the minute, but I guess you already know that since you've been helping them."

"Margaery's ..." Brienne began but found there wasn't really one word to accurately describe the heiress.

"That she is." Jaime laughed in agreement, suddenly standing beside her, as Tyrion looked between the pair and shook his head very slowly.

"I seem to be of great interest to you today, brother. Is there something you'd like to tell me?" Brienne couldn't see all of Jaime's face but she too was wondering what Tyrion was finding so amusing.

"Not yet." Tyrion answered cryptically, looking directly at Brienne as he spoke. She hadn't quite recovered from her last mumbling episode so remained silent, her brain carrying out the mumbling for her.

"Before I forget", Tyrion continued to look between them as he rummaged through a pocket, pulling out a handful of passes, "You won't be able to go in without one of these."

Brienne took hers gratefully, setting the multicoloured cord around her neck as Jaime uncharacteristically fidgeted with his. She reached out to ease his hand in friendship before she realised what she was doing; there were more than enough nerves in her today without having to worry about Jaime's too.

"Here we are then", he told her steadily moments later, her quick touch apparently having given him back an ounce of bravado. Either that or he had been playing her again, pushing her into the meeting of skin.

"Do you know what you're going to do?" Brienne asked quietly, hiding her words from Tyrion who was now a few steps ahead of them, having given a lot of thought to how she would want to act but noting that Jaime wasn't anywhere near as pragmatic.

"Not a clue", he laughed absently, sarcastically, "I was still hoping you might surprise us all and turn out to be the brains of this operation."

She shook her head, "You may have to look elsewhere."

He looked at her then, properly looked,  as if he could see past her mess of freckles and oversized bulk into something deeper. The idea of a soul passed through her mind and left almost as suddenly, as she rapidly blinked like that could help her forget just how green his eyes were at that second.

"I think I'm looking in exactly the right place."

And with that he left her standing in the cold, easily striding away to catch up with his brother as they walked side by side into the mouth of the Institute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if very much actually happened in this one but thanks for reading anyway :)


	41. Forty One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay in posting this, life called.

A cool wave of strangely perfumed air hit Brienne as she entered the building, the whole place smelling like someone had been burning cinnamon or some other kind of exotic spice. It made her want to sneeze, her nose twitching unwittingly, though her body wouldn't let the action take place. 

Even the aura of the room was apparently doing nothing to help reduce her unease.

The location of The Institute wasn't the only thing Brienne had looked up, finding that by all accounts Petyr Baelish was a nasty, underhanded little man and not somebody she would usually want to face. At some point in the past though he had been a friend of Catelyn's and that small piece of knowledge made her think that maybe, deep down way back when, he hadn't been all bad.

Jaime and Tyrion were at the bar as looked around, making her think that maybe not all the stories about the younger Lannister had been exaggerated. Especially given that it was currently only a little after ten in the morning. Jaime on the other hand was looking unusually uncomfortable, having been accosted by a leggy waitress who's entire outfit Brienne thought might just about stretch to a sleeve of one of her shirts.

He jumped up as soon as he saw Brienne enter the lobby, moving away from the pushy young woman and straight towards his colleague. 

"There you are", Jaime was louder than he strictly needed to be as he got close enough to pull her into a hug. 

"Some people can't take no for an answer", he murmured as Brienne watched Tyrion exchange a word with the waitress, who flounced away in disgust.

She closed her eyes for a couple of seconds, letting him hold her and contemplating how appropriate it was to warm her hands under his jacket, before realisation dawned and she pushed Jaime away.

"Did you just ... use me?" Brienne asked hoping her face remained untouched by annoyance or shame, well aware of how many people were filing past them now.

Jaime grinned, seemingly wanting her to smack the smug look off his face, "I like to see it more as one friend helping another friend out."

She had to remind herself that Jaime didn't know the details behind her mistrust of Hyle before she replied.

"Don't do that again."

His grin faltered, reading the anger and confusion she was trying so very hard to conceal, carefully stroking at her arm as if he was attempting to tame a wild animal.

"You know, some people could see this as a repayment of the rescue I performed following your disastrous blind date."

She glared, not really wanting to be reminded of anything that happened on that night. Anything but the kissing her brain prodded but by that time Jaime had finally decided to mumble an apology under the curse of her eyes, so quietly that she hardly heard him.

"Friends don't repay favours", she informed him as gently as possible. Lannisters it seemed liked the idea of debts. "And you didn't ... you didn't rescue me."

For a second she thought he might hug her again, he had a glint coming back that usually spelled something wonderfully wrong but he didn't say or do anything. 

Not until Petyr Baelish walked past them and instantly recognised Jaime.

"Jaime Lannister. How nice to see you."  Baelish didn't sound very happy, but if he was surprised then he was very good at hiding it. He wasn't a very tall man, dark haired with a small well trimmed beard, but height mattered little when someone had such an presence. She could imagine that he drew you in to listen to what he was telling you, demanding in that moment, even if what he was telling you would end a career.

Even Tyrion, Brienne thought, small as he was could probably command the attention of a room with a carefully planned speech better than she could. 

"And you've brought a friend, I'm not sure I've had the pleasure." 

Jaime stepped in before she could fall over her words, the almost sour look on his face echoing her own. "This is Brienne Tarth, she works ..."

"With Jaime." Brienne offered her own hand, inwardly cringing when it met paper dry skin, overruling her normal instinct to mention or defend Catelyn Stark. Which given the circumstances was probably a very good move.

"What brings you all the way to Kingsland Jaime? I thought you had been banished to the North?"

Baelish knew, Brienne thought as the man kept glancing across at her, he was just making sure Jaime knew too.

"My father has always been interested in a political career for his sons", Jaime pointed at Tyrion and she wasn't sure if that was a lie or a deeply hidden truth. "Miss Tarth here is my strategy specialist and since we're in town for the day ..." He trailed off in the hope that Baelish would fill in the gap.

Jaime didn't elaborate that her specialism wasn't in politics.

"Then I insist that you both must come to my presentation", Baelish stared into Brienne as he almost clapped his hands together. "If you would just speak to Ros and she'll make sure there's room for you. Both of you."

He pointed at a glamorous redhead as he left to shake more hands, still glancing back at Brienne as if he couldn't quite work her out.

"That was ..." she began, her heart beating a little faster than she was anticipating.

"Interesting" Jaime agreed, "He knows who you are anyway."

"He did not! I didn't even mention ... Catelyn ... or Robb."

"You didn't have to. Tyrion put it all over your badge." Jaime leaned in a little closer, turning the name tag over as Baelish passed by them again. "I should have made him put Lannister on there and passed you off as my ..."

He stopped and Brienne wondered what the missing word was going to be. She was certainly blonde enough to pass for a Lannister if needed, though her eyes were far too blue. And Jaime had barely fooled a waitress into thinking they were more than whatever they were, she assumed that Petyr Baelish would have seen through that kind of ruse in seconds flat.

"You'll be wanting a seat with an easy exit I assume", Jaime asked as the redhead, Ros, waved him over to her table following a silent signal from her employer. "You know for once your insane wariness might be right, I wouldn't trust half of the people here for even a second", he paused as Ros waved at him again, "Just be careful what you stutter."

Tyrion appeared at her side as she watched Jaime casually drape himself over a chair, making her jump at his stealth.

"You look like you need a drink."


	42. Forty Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thanks to everyone who's still reading and enjoying this. There is an end point in sight, but there'll be a few more chapters now before I get there.

"It's ten am", Brienne told Tyrion matter of fact, wondering if he and Jaime shared a body clock as they both liked to suggest odd things in the morning. If she wasn't going to go lunch at ten thirty, as Jaime had asked earlier in the week, then she certainly wasn't going to start drinking at around the same time today.

"And do you see that stopping anyone else?"

Brienne looked around the room and found Tyrion was correct, the wait staff were indeed handing around champagne flutes full of bubbling orange liquid.

"I thought this was supposed to be a conference", she sounded even more confused than she felt, "What's the point if everyone is drunk?"

"This is a Baelish conference, it's a little different to what I suppose you're used to. Though if you and my dear brother are actually going to accomplish anything maybe you both should save the drinking until later", he looked up at her, studying her like Jaime had done when they first met as if they both could find a chink that could be buried under. "Then maybe you can both accomplish something else."

"I don't know what you're talking about", she ran all her words together as the accusation or suggestion, she couldn't actually be sure which was closer, hung in the air.

Tyrion simply waited for her to finish, judging her reaction expertly. Though Brienne guessed that if he was anything like Jaime then her face would have given him all the answers he needed.

"Its actually closer to eleven, but I'm assuming that will make little difference as you don't drink", Tyrion commented as he picked up a glass from a passing waiter.

"Not usually", Brienne admitted, thinking about how many other things were as obvious to the little man as that small truth. "Though", she paused to let herself smile slightly, "I was reminded today that I should allow myself to have more fun."

Tyrion passed her the glass, eyebrows raised as she took a single sip and handed it straight back, realising a little too late how bad it would look for the company if someone actually saw her.

"Too much fun?" he asked as she badly swallowed the bubbles and coughed at the tingle in the back of her throat.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Jaime was to blame for that mouthful of rebellion." Tyrion was almost smirking at her, hiding something that must have passed through his head as he watched her choke.

Brienne coughed again, desperate now to get rid of the taste in her mouth, Tyrion not only watching her closely but also taking glances at his brother who was still trying to charm his way into Baelish's presentation.

"He can take care of himself, he has done for years with a minimum amount of damage", Tyrion promised and it was that very phrase that had her feeling a little more than worried about what might be going on across the room that she couldn't see.

Jaime made sure to catch her eye and nod sombrely before he left the table and followed Baelish's assistant into the main conference hall, Brienne being left to stand uncomfortably beside his brother at the bar.

"I can see exactly why he likes you. You actually watch his back, and believe me there's not many that would do that." Tyrion noticed her nervous twitch, her flickering gaze, as he spoke of a truth Brienne hadn't realised she'd already been aware of.

"You're also the complete opposite of his ex-girlfriend"

Brienne wasn't sure if Tyrion had meant to tell her that last part but once spoken it couldn't be taken back. She tore her eyes away from the glimpse of hallway that could be seen from her current angle, her brain already heading immediately to a place where that statement could actually matter.

"Exes, you mean?" Her response was just a murmur, another thought that shouldn't have been spoken.

"No I meant ex. Singular. Did he not ...?" Tyrion paused to consider some unknown thing Jaime hadn't bothered to mention, and if Brienne had been nervous beforehand it was nothing compared to feelings now spreading through her.

"Of course he didn't tell you, he doesn't even realise", she caught his slight eye roll as she twisted her head to look down, Tyrion unknowingly doing his very best to push her into a state of flustered confusion. "But am I right in thinking that you do?"

Brienne found that once again she couldn't fully follow the smaller man's logic, and her features twisted and changed under his upward searching gaze.

"We don't really talk ... about that ... kind of thing", she told him finally, not anywhere close to a lie.

"No you just grope at each other as if it doesn't matter"

Brienne's mouth flew open, her face now as red as Jaime's office carpet. 

"I thought you said ..."

"Lannister's lie", was Tyrion's only response. "You should get used to that."

"Jaime?" she asked, suddenly finding herself incapable of more than a few syllables at a time.

"Don't think he's special", the choice of words were a splash of cold water on her burning skin, freezing and harsh like the winter weather outside.

"But as far as I'm aware he still doesn't lie when it comes to the important things, and in my humble opinion I think you may be one of the important things."

"My brother doesn't take these things lightly, and if you two are as close as I've seen today then it's for a reason."

"Oh", it wasn't any kind of answer, merely a surprised little noise that escaped without Brienne wanting it too.

"You mean you really didn't know?" Tyrion muttered in clear bemusement, "Oblivious. Both of you. Completely oblivious."

She was about to ask what she hadn't managed to work out when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Spinning around she saw a pretty petite brunette girl dressed in a Tyrell's Hotel uniform, green and gold with a rose on the breast pocket.

"Miss Brienne Tarth?" the girl asked, clearly a messenger of some sort and Brienne wondered what her and Jaime had managed to do to piss off the family now.

Brienne nodded and was rewarded with a envelope placed into her palm. "With compliments from Miss Tyrell."

She was left staring as the employee scuttled out of the door and back across the road to the monstrous Kingsland hotel.

"Presents from Margaery Tyrell. You're one lucky girl." Tyrion told her as he picked up another a drink, clearly getting a little bored at either her lack of awareness or Jaime's slowness at dealing with the Baelish situation.

Brienne opened the envelope to find a single key card and a handwritten note, her mouth drying as her hands began to tremble.


	43. Forty Three

"Brother!" Tyrion exclaimed and at the sound Brienne stuffed both the plastic card and the note in the pocket of her slacks. It was very kind of Margaery to send over a messenger with it, but no matter how much her Gran 'adored' the presented ideas Brienne wasn't going to stay in an expensive hotel free of charge. Especially not, as she assumed Margaery's neatly presented words were insinuating, with Jaime.

Besides, it was barely lunchtime and the trains ran well into the evening so they shouldn't have any need for it. Sansa's bag packing skills it seemed were for naught.

"We're in", Jaime told them both as he came up behind Brienne, holding two small red pieces of card in his hand, "I even have tickets. For some unknown reason Baelish is treating this thing like a bloody rock concert."

"Welcome to politics", Tyrion raised his glass in half salute, drinking slowly as he snarked, "Sixty percent bravado, forty percent talent or there about. You'd fit in well brother."

"In another life." Jaime bit back in less than slight agreement. "I tried to get you in as well but apparently you're banned. Now what could you have possibly done to piss off the redhead?"

"Ahhh the lovely Ros and I have a history going well back, one I won't repeat in front of delicate ears." Tyrion gestured at Brienne who still had her back to Jaime and she smiled briefly in thanks, pretty sure she could work out what that history entailed minus the details. "However I have seen the show many a time over the years, Baelish remains fixated on chaos and ladders."

"I think we can handle a little chaos", Jaime clapped his hand down on her shoulder in an easy show of solidarity. She turned away from the inquisitive look that action produced in Tyrion, tumbling straight into Jaime's unreadable smile.

"But since this hell isn't until later on this afternoon, would if offend anyone if we went and got something to eat?"

Tyrion was the first to answer, his eyes mockingly wide. "You'll have to ask your 'strategy specialist'. According to normal rules I may not run on a proper daily timeline."

"Drinking at ten am will do that to you little brother." Jaime joked back before addressing Brienne directly, all lopsided smile and twinkling eyes, as if that could win her over. "I didn't eat on the train."

No, she thought, you slept half on top of me instead. Though Brienne nodded before he could attempt to charm an answer out of her.

"There's a new High Garden you might want to try out", Tyrion told them as Brienne reached for her coat, deftly transferring the key card into a more secure location.

"Wait, you're not coming with us?" she enquired as Tyrion was momentarily distracted by a haughty looking woman talking to Ros.

He cocked his head up at her, silently telling her to stop being stupid, third wheel seeming to scream out of his eyes and Brienne began to feel hot all over. High Garden restaurants and awkward almost dates seemed to wander around her head hand-in-hand.

"Hang a left as you go out of the door and it's about fifteen minutes down the street. You should be able to see it pretty much straight away", Tyrion explained as he threw Jaime his coat.

"Are you really sure you don't want to come with us?" Brienne asked again, not sure why the prospect of a maybe date with Jaime was so daunting.

"I'm the lord of tits and wine, I assure you I fit in better here. Though", Tyrion paused at Brienne's suppressed reaction, "If you could maybe sneak me in something for later it would be appreciated."

"Oh we're very good at sneaking, aren't we Brienne?" Jaime hit a nerve and she stopped on the spot.

She didn't answer, rightly assuming there were enough visual clues going on to explain exactly how she felt about that particular statement.

Jaime and Tyrion shared yet another look and she momentarily became the third wheel in their brotherly telepathy.

"Have fun", Tyrion laughed as Jaime shrugged and started to make his way to the door. "Though not too much fun otherwise you'll not make it back in time."

"See you later", Brienne replied softly but the little man was already making his way to the woman he had spotted earlier, leaving her to consider how much worse a second outing at the restaurant chain could be compared to the painful humiliation of the first.


	44. Forty Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter became two so I'm posting both together :)

Jaime Lannister had pretty much ordered more food than Brienne had ever seen one man attempt to eat, and she used to work part time at a rugby club. 

"I don't know how you can eat like that ..." She wondered out loud as the waitress arranged the plates around him.

"... and still look this good? I know it's a mystery", he followed her crossing brows before continuing along the same lines, "It's alright to say it, you do have first hand knowledge so to speak. I'm not going to hold it against you."

Brienne mumbled something incomprehensible under her breath as Jaime simply enjoyed her fluster.

"At least you're maintaining your regular habit of being boring and safe", he pointed at her plate of chicken, tomato and pasta covering a mock yawn with the palm of his hand.

"I'm in training", she told him, mouth set in a firm line.

"For what? A marathon?" Jaime snarked at her but she nodded back seriously.

"Really?"

She had to nod a second time before he believed her.

"I may be slightly impressed", he looked very impressed to her inexperienced eye, "If you ever happen to need some assistance I might be able to find some time for you."

"You run?"

"I used to but not marathons, though I was thinking more of an incentive." The accompanying grin was far more suggestive than the words coming out of his mouth.

Brienne rolled her eyes, looking down to push her food around her plate until that particular suggestion left the air. She was pretty sure by now her freckles were disappearing behind whatever colour her skin had decided on. 

"Tyrion said ..." she began, absently shoving bits of tomato off her plate and on to the table.

"You don't know him but believe me when I tell you that no good phrase in the history of the English language began with Tyrion said", he was lazy, messing with her ideals of trust.

"Tyrion said", she repeated, trying to pitch her voice at the correct level so that only Jaime could hear her and not anyone on the dozen or so tables in the vicinity. She took a deep breath as quickly as possible before he could interrupt, "He said that ... you don't really ... I mean he said you only ... you're not much of ..."

"Spit it out woman." Jaime snapped and she wondered if he was actually worried about what his brother had told her.

"You don't date", Brienne whispered her understanding of Tyrion's earlier puzzling conversation.

Jaime's face darkened. "You really don't want to talk about that", he warned and she battled her instinct to shift back.

She knew she didn't, but guessed that his brother had brought it up for a reason. Although she really didn't want to push, especially as the whole thing was earth shatteringly embarrassing, there were a couple of things she was curious about.

"She was ... the only one?"

Jaime nodded tersely, not saying a word which left her to helplessly mumble on.

"Did it ... end ... badly?"

For a second it looked like he was about to soften ever so slightly, he initiated that odd eye lock they sometimes did, but in the end he only barked out a laugh.

"What has my brother been filling your head with?"

Half truths and guesswork Brienne thought but couldn't bring herself to voice it.

"If you think he means well, don't", Jaime continued, "He's only interfering."

However uncomfortable this was getting, she only had one thing left to ask though it was without a doubt the worst one.

"He said ...", Jaime raised an eyebrow, "... that I was ... important ... to you."

"You're awfully needy all of a sudden and not the good type of needy either." He leered just a little but she stood her ground as their eyes met. Green hit blue in a swirling ocean of intent, waves of emotion crashing together as unsaid things fought their way from drowning depths to the surface.

"What exactly makes you think you're not important?" It was a scoffing remark but a compassionate one if that was at all possible. "Tyrion doesn't know everything no matter how much he insinuates."

"He's very much like you then."

Jaime laughed at that, cutting through building tension with the easy noise. "And what don't I know?"

Brienne attempted an enigmatic smile but the sudden buzz of her phone made her jump and she lost the advantage. Scrambling into her pocket she pulled out the tiny device, accidentally knocking the plastic card to the floor with a slap.

"You've dropped your ..." Jaime began, peering over the table to catch the green and gold logo shining on the ground. "You're really bad at surprises" he grinned as she tensed, only partly listening to the message left by Sansa.

"Margaery ..." she muttered.

"And here I was thinking I'd done just enough to make her hate me."

"You did", Brienne frowned at the end of the garbled message and hit re-play, "She gave it to me."

"And I'm guessing you aren't going to accept that gift?" 

She nodded her head, finally hearing actual words through Sansa's happy little chirps.

"It's rude to refuse an heiress." He was probably right but she wasn't about to tell him that.

Brienne ended up having to listen for a third time before understanding the point of the call, muttering to Jaime as she did. 

"We'll see"


	45. Forty Five

Jaime knew he was in major trouble if Tyrion had felt the need to get involved. His brother had never been interested before, not when it had been about ... Her and that shit had lasted the better part of two decades. But somehow half an hour with Brienne and he was ready to reveal a couple of cards Jaime had kept hidden for years. The girl currently sat opposite him was important but it was difficult to voice how deep that feeling went when he still wasn't sure of it himself. There was no denying that Brienne was slow, infuriatingly honourable and quick to embarrass but he was finding he liked those things about her more and more. And the fact that Hyle Hunt hadn't been back to sniff around pleased him more than he thought possible.

It would have all been a lot easier if he hadn't needed Brienne to come along today, but somehow doing this without her hadn't sat very well with him. Moral support he could usually do without, especially when he guessed his own morals had been shot to hell a long time ago. Right around the time his father had backed out on a deal with Targaryen Enterprises.

"We'll see?" he repeated, emphasising the first word as he began to eat again. Brienne scowled at whatever the little bird noises were telling her from across the table and he hoped that wasn't an indicator at how quickly their conversation would descend into single syllables. Jaime thought there was a strong possibility she had just said it to try and shut him up, it was almost parental in the way that she could turn a maybe into a no. Although, if silence had really been her goal then Brienne would have been far closer to achieving it had she simply asked him to join her in the hotel room for the evening. He found he couldn't have refused that kind of invitation had it been presented.

However there was almost no chance she would have been that forward and certainly not in a public place. When she had erred towards confidence it had stuttered out as soft and tender, two words he would not have used to describe the giant freckled girl a couple of weeks earlier, and if Jaime was being honest he hadn't really liked it all that much. Her gentle actions were beginning to support a myriad of thoughts that, as yet, only his subconscious mind had fully embraced.

"Didn't you say that your work on the Mockingbird report could be repaid by giving you six hours sleep?", he pointed at the card still on the floor, "Your wish is my command."

Brienne leant over and snatched the plastic key up, throwing it on the table in front of her as if the embossed green and gold rose had stung. "In case you've forgotten ... some of us have to work more than ... three days a week."

Her loyalty really could be quite grating at times, Jaime thought as she carefully picked up the card between her thumb and forefinger, looking like she was going to hide it away and forget it had fallen out of her pocket in the first place. 

"For once do something selfish", Jaime retorted assertively, hoping it didn't sound pleading as her eyes moved away from his face at the request, but he wasn't quite ready to stop talking just yet, "Stark Industries is not going to implode if you decide to take a day off."

"That still doesn't make ... lying to Catelyn any less wrong."

"You're killing me woman", he teased, rolling his eyes at her childlike purity, "Don't tell me that you've never told a lie to an authority figure before?"

"There ... never was an ... opportunity ... to do so", her response was heavily thought out, each word a fight against something in her head that Jaime couldn't see.

"Well", he leaned as far back as he could in the tight space, watching the wheels turn in Brienne's head as he attempted to manoeuvre her closer to the decision they both wanted if lips and hands alone could be believed. "Margaery's gift is giving you just the opportunity you need to flout the rules. Plus it's not as if you didn't come over prepared for any eventuality."

It was with a sigh of resignation that she replied several long drawn out moments later, her head still staring into the table top as if the solid surface could provide her with answers she didn't have. "I  ... we ... wouldn't sleep."

Jaime's heart may have involuntarily stuttered a little at her continued want to place him and her together, his body once again providing levels of betrayal he wasn't really expecting. He allowed the poundng to slow slightly, bringing everything back under control and far away from the recurring dream images currently flashing through his head, before bantering back. "And what exactly were you planning on doing if not sleeping? I mean there wouldn't really be much point in staying otherwise."

"I ...", Brienne couldn't even get past the first word of her defense, and he found the way her freckles were being beaten into submission by unwanted discomfort completely endearing. "I'd prefer my own bed."

"Me too." Jaime laughed and her half shocked little glance told him that no matter how innocent Brienne was they were eventually inching closer to being on the same page.

"It would be ... rude to refuse", Brienne sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

"And we don't want to annoy the Tyrell's", he agreed, letting her come to a finality on her own.

There was another sharply drawn breath before she made her choice. "I've got to call Sansa back anyway ... I may's well tell her that ... I'm ... we're spending the night ... after we see this presentation."

Brienne still looked a little nervous which wasn't anywhere near a problem, it kept the deliciously flushed colour in her cheeks, but Jaime found he didn't like the little quiver of real fear that wobbled her bottom lip. He may have teased and prodded to garner a host of amazing reactions but when it came down to it he would never push or force Brienne into doing something that she didn't want to do. Even before their very first kiss he had waited for her to start it and there was no way the prospect of a bed was going to change that side of his nature.

For once he didn't consider how she would react as he rose to his feet, leaning over the table and very carefully brushing his lips against the soft tremble in hers. It was little more than a feather light touch but it seemed to at least momentarily stun the anxiety into surrender.

"Don't get any ideas", he whispered as she turned a more vibrant shade of burgundy, "Today's going to be a long day and you're far too comfortable for me to pass up my last chance to use you as a pillow."

Her answering half smile made him feel like a teenager again and couldn't stop him from kissing her a second time. 

He could tell Brienne about ... Her later if she was really all that interested.


	46. Forty Six

"Jaime", Brienne murmured only partly in admonishment as he continued to hang over her for one long moment. The angle felt off, not wrong but definitely different, as if she'd shrank six inches all of a sudden and was transformed into something approaching delicate, almost feminine.

She shook the idea off in a shiver as the door behind her opened, bathing them both in a gust of cold air and noise, bringing Brienne back to the soft tingle along the surface of her lips and the smug quirk of Jaime's eyebrow as he went back to shovelling deep fried junk down his throat.

"We have a few minutes to spare if you need ... recovery time." His eyes were laughing at her again, heading back to normal after they'd hazed briefly with a vague softness, as he started to look a little proud of himself that he'd provided such a well received distraction.

"I'm fine", she confirmed steadily, rubbing her lips together to stop herself from nibbling at the chapped surface to keep the sparking sensation from slowly disappearing. 

His response was lost in an breathy snorting exhale, eyes searching her face for any trace of a lie, and she attempted to prevent her brain from lingering too long on the fact that he'd kissed her in a public place, not caring about what impression it may have given off. The unexpected soft touch had even fluttered away most, but not all of her underlying apprehension about sharing a room, sharing a bed, with him.

Jaime had seemed to enjoy calling her out on being overly naive, and at times there was little she could do but silently agree with that judgement, but since their last encounter Brienne was under no illusions to how their intermittent tension was probably going to break. She just hadn't been completely sure of when or where until a few minutes ago.

Brienne thought she was about to walk into one of the awkward tipping points between adolescence and adulthood, knowing that it wasn't the only rite of passage she'd purposely let herself miss out on. Though when the time came, whether it was tonight or three months from now, the time when  kissing just wouldn't be enough to ease everything building and burning, it wouldn't be a surprise if she held back from following her body's undeniable primal impulse, the terrifyingly heady want, through.

It wasn't as if Brienne could say she wasn't actually curious, far from it, but she'd been unable to change her predilection for nervous clumsiness before and she doubted she would be any different when faced with his growing interest again.

And her deep seated crush, appreciation for Jaime's lips among other things and the way he seemed to care at times didn't mean that she loved him. She loved her dad, running and the sense of accomplishment her job gave her. 

Not Jaime Lannister. Surely. 

Stabbing at her food, a little harder than intended, she sent a tiny shower of red and white in his general direction. Jaime just smirked at her efforts to cover up thoughts that were probably rearranging her freckles and appearing like searing brown tattoos across contrasting pale and flushed skin.

Brienne dropped her head again, attempting to focus on eating more than three mouthfuls this time around since the date, only her third ever, had all too slowly began to veer past suffocatingly awkward. Maybe next time they could even start somewhere other than uncomfortable.

"Do you think ..." she began to ask, aiming to break the cloud of silence that had briefly fallen over the table, though with what she'd just been considering it may have been better if she'd just kept her mouth shut.

"No", Jaime laughed, the noise sounding almost affectionate, "Unless you're thinking about ordering something a little sweeter."

She rolled her eyes, half hidden under the wave of hair that had fallen into her face, realising it was easier to discuss trivialities with him but that wasn't why they had travelled three hundred miles mainly in the dark. "Do you think if ... we ... can come up with some questions ... to ask Baelish ... that you'll get the answers you want?"

Jaime made a growling noise at the back of his throat that sent a surprising river of heat blazing through her nerves. "I wonder", he paused and Brienne found herself watching him have a rare moment of deliberation, "If we could use Tyrion's relationships to our advantage again. Baelish is more than a name over the door but I assume those girls know everything."

"She doesn't even like him"

"Anymore", Jaime corrected, "But I wasn't thinking about Ros."

"They had sex." Brienne was a grown woman, she should be able to say the word even if it was only a whisper.

"Trust me that's not an exclusive club to be in." Jaime told her with a look that said she really didn't want to know anymore than that. Brienne squirmed a little under the momentary intensity, the heat under her skin close to bursting into a uncontrollable blaze.

Now wasn't the time to lose focus, she thought, steering the conversation back on track and towards safer subjects.

"So we need to ... corner one of the assistants? I think I could do that." She was almost proud of the confidence seeping through the final words, even if the actual act would be a little more difficult than the thought behind it. Pretty girls had generally been a lot crueller to her in the past than any other type of person she'd come into contact with. There probably was a reason why Sansa and Margaery had become exceptions to the rule.

"It might be better if I do it", he smiled and Brienne considered that she must be a strange individual to go from probably wanting to do more than just sleep beside him to definitely wanting to remove the arrogance from his face in mere minutes.

"Some of us ... can't just rely on ... pretty boy charm", she grumbled, waving her fork at his face. 

"You can't deny that pretty boy charm doesn't come in handy sometimes", even her choice of words sounded overly content in Jaime's voice. He caught the end of the utensil and almost pulled it out of her grip, forcing her head closer to his, "And if substance really mattered in this circle then I wouldn't stand a chance when up against unwaveringly stubborn loyalty."

Brienne guessed he'd just paid her a very surprising compliment and having few words to respond, she went back to eating before falling into stunned silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled with this one a little so I hope it didn't come off as too meandering
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	47. Forty Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the slight delay in posting, but here is the next chapter a few hours later than I was expecting
> 
> Thanks to all that are still reading, and everyone who has been commenting and leaving kudos. I love and appreciate all the continued support for this fic

It had started to rain while they had been inside, a light drizzle that misted at the edges of the city beautifully. And though Brienne felt damp and uncomfortable after only a few steps she thought there were probably a lot worse places she could be right now than walking in the rain with Jaime by her side.

She couldn't shake the wonder that Kingsland must be a few degrees warmer than the regular Northern climate she was used to, and that was the explanation to why she felt like she was burning up a little despite the threatening winter wind.

With every passing minute Jaime was looking more and more like he would have preferred to stay put and alternatively snark and compliment her for the next few hours, but he matched each one of her quickening strides anyway.

They should have got a cab, she thought as she pushed chunks of sodden hair back out of her eyes, or asked Tyrion to send around the car. It wasn't raining heavily but the fine mist was already settling deep into the wool of her coat, her skin hovering between warm and cold at the same time.

Brienne would have attempted to make some kind of conversation had she known the best thing to say, though the only thing that was coming to mind was why anyone would find rain romantic and she doubted Jaime would do anything but laugh had she spoken that kind of thought aloud.

So she walked and considered other things she couldn't talk about. Like pleasant golden daydreams that had eased her to sleep more times than she would like to admit even to herself, the ideas playing havoc with her conscious mind as the Tyrell's Hotel grew ominously closer. 

Jaime had already sneakily taken the key card off her as she went to pay in the restaurant, the rosy rectangle beginning to weigh heavy with barely spoken promise. He had settled his hand over hers, the one still gripping onto Margaery's gift, and in what she'd assumed was another odd display of affection had absently stroked a fingertip from her wrist up into her palm. Her traitor hand turned into the touch, a flower moving into the suns rays, revealing the prize underneath.  
   
"I think I'll be keeping this until later", he'd told her, snatching at the plastic before Brienne could find time to react to the change of intention. "Otherwise, with your luck, it might end up under a bus or down a sewer."

"Don't ... you ... trust me?" She'd asked, surprising both of them by almost sounding playful.

Jaime had bitten into the corner of his mouth as he considered her new tone, his eyes alive with what she assumed was possibility, "Aren't I the one supposed to be asking you that?"

She'd shrugged, her momentary bravado failing as she pushed away both the blush and the smile caused by Jaime's eyes raking her face for a way in, Brienne realising that he'd given her very few opportunities recently to not trust him. Maybe, a welcome spark flared inside, just maybe, he might share a couple of her apprehensions.

But then again probably not, her brain wrestled back, men like Jaime didn't flirt outrageously because they were even a little worried.

"Why do you keep asking things you already know the answers to?" She'd muttered in response, already frustrated with the fight going on in her head.

Jaime hadn't missed a beat, though there was more than a little mischievousness in his tone, "Possibly because you already want me", he flirted, "I mean to trust me, you just haven't accepted it yet."

"What ... if I ... have?" she countered, taking a huge breath to control her pounding heart, not knowing why she'd decided to push this into something more sincere.

Jaime had watched her mouth move, tracing the curve of her lip with visibly darkening eyes, "Well I think Margaery's offering has suddenly just become even more tempting."

It was those exact words that echoed in her head as Jaime's hand kept grazing along the small of her back as they walked, her elbow knocking against his, suspended in relaxed tension. So it was almost with a sigh of relief that The Baelish Institute finally came into view, the black and white building at odds with the grey on grey sky. 

"I need to make a call", she told him as they stepped back into the fragrances air.

"You know you don't need to call in sick in advance", Jaime shook his head, trying to reach into her pocket before she could. "That's why mornings exist."

In the process of wrestling him away, Brienne pushed him back out into the rain, the droplets hitting the ground faster and faster now, not realising that Jaime was still attached to her. He hit the wall with a gentle thud, Brienne briefly landing against him.  
"I'm not calling work", she hissed directly in his ear before she could detangle herself completely, "I do have other interests than just work."

Jaime laughed even as the rain ran down his face, "You're plenty interesting though you look a little like a giant drowned rat right now."

"Take a look in the mirror ... you don't look so ... hot yourself right now"

His laugh was huge and all encompassing, "I'm going to find my brother, don't stay out here too long."

Brienne nodded her understanding, though Jaime was barely out of her eye line before she saw an unfortunately familiar dark haired man standing in the entrance. Dropping her phone away, Sansa could wait a little longer, she approached on unsteady legs.

"Mr Baelish?" Brienne questioned, feeling a bit like a rabbit caught in headlights as he looked at her. Heart pounding, palms sweating, this felt much worse than any potential romantic situation she had found herself in.

She held out a hand, privately hoping he wouldn't take her up on the courtesy. "Brienne ..."

"Tarth", he remembered, "You're Jaime Lannister's ... friend."

"Colleague", she politely corrected, hearing the slight glint of suggestion even though she had never met the man in front of her before today.

Baelish smiled and Brienne felt her blood run a little cold, "What can I do for you Miss Tarth?"

"I was wondering ... if I could have a minute of your time."

"Of course, if you make an appointment with Ros, I'm sure we can fit you in", he paused as an idea suddenly dawned, "Or will you be bringing Jaime along as well?"

Rationality calmed her before she spoke again, "Just me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a handful of chapters left to go now
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	48. Forty Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of apologies to make. Sorry I haven't replied to those of you who have been leaving comments I keep meaning to but then start writing something else and forget. It doesnt mean I don't very much appreciate everyone who takes the time to do so though. Knowing that someone is still reading this makes me want to write a little quicker :)  
> Secondly, if this is getting too far away from what it was I do apologise. Though I wanted to get a few things sorted before getting to the room sharing chapter

"Just you", Baelish repeated though Brienne heard little else than him asking if she was sure she wanted to come alone. It was almost as if the advisor wanted to study how her and Jaime reacted and worked with each other. Personally, she couldn't figure out why that would be of interest to anyone, though Baelish wouldn't be alone in picking up on some subtleties Brienne herself often missed. 

Besides she had never much liked being watched that intently unless there was a sport attached to it.

"How would tomorrow morning suit you?" Baelish asked, even though Jaime had mentioned earlier that they were only in Kingsland for the one day.

"I was very much hoping we could ... organise something before the end of the conference today", Brienne's responses becoming more confident as plans firmed up in her head, "The last train ... leaves relatively early."

"Train?" He shook his head as if Brienne had said something terribly funny, "I thought that friends of the Lannister's would have been granted personal use of the jet."

She froze for what was probably too long, realising that however well off she thought Jaime was she had been nowhere close to the reality. "The train ... was more ... environmentally friendly" 

Baelish didn't even really acknowledge her response, though as he guided her back into the lobby he did mutter something that Brienne knew he meant for her to hear. "It doesn't matter I suppose, the sister probably has it. Jaime was always incredibly close with her."

She didn't fall into that particular verbal trap, literally biting her tongue to stop the question flowing out. Brienne knew who Jaime's sister was, the star of some god awful sitcom, though she didn't know why that name needed to be dropped into the conversation.

"I seem to remember you were coming along to the presentation later", Baelish considered, his voice heading back to a normal volume, "I should think I might have a minute or two for you afterwards. Just come on up to the third floor, one of the girls will show you the way."

"Thank you ... I appreciate you ... finding time at such short notice."

"Any friend of Jaime Lannister and Catelyn Stark must be an intriguing individual. One I certainly can't turn away."

Damn it, Brienne thought, Jaime was right. Though she didn't hesitate when a hand was offered, she did fight the slight pull to step closer into the sickly sweet smell that wafted off Baelish in perfumed clouds. The danger with him was that he didn't seem all that dangerous until he had already caught you.

"Look around you Miss Tarth, we're all liars here, and every one of us is better than you." Baelish warned, though it was unclear to which lie he had picked up on. "To help you later my girls are the ones all in black, and most have trays."

Feeling like she had just been beaten at a game she hadn't know was being played, Brienne turned away from Baelish's already retreating figure to find Jaime leaning on the bar next to his brother. Neither man had noticed her entrance yet and though either of the brothers could have sent the wannabe politician away with a word, Brienne was secretly a little pleased she hadn't had to fall back on their input. It hadn't gone perfectly but she still had confirmed the meeting. 

Eavesdropping into the sibling's exchanged words was the furthest thing from her mind as she walked over to join the pair she'd arrived with, but they were speaking freely and Brienne's presence wasn't noticed until she was nearly on top of them.

"I'm not sure which of you would take less notice if I said be careful", Tyrion laughed, not sounding anywhere near as inebriated as she had expected him to.

"Then don't say it", Jaime's response was quick and easy. "Though today hardly compares to some of the trouble you've gotten yourself into since I've been banished to the frozen North."

"Without my big brother to protect me I have fallen into one or two unsavoury encounters", Tyrion's smile belittled the otherwise troubled words. "And I would put money on the fact that you haven't been too bothered by the cold for quite some time."

"If you actually would venture out of the county every now and again, you wouldn't be saying that."

"So I'm taking that as meaning you haven't asked her to warm your bed yet."

Brienne felt herself reddening up again, feeling more than a little guilty at listening into what was at least partly about her. Making her next steps as loud as possible, she accidentally managed to clatter into two chairs, pulling more than just the attention of Jaime and Tyrion on to her beet red face.

"I've organised a meeting with Baelish", she told them after she had picked herself up, the words slightly quieter than their earlier conversation that had somehow carried half way across the room.

"Colour me impressed. So when are we required to show our faces?"

"Not we, just me", she told Jaime and he glowered in response. "I thought that maybe I could ... try and distract him ... with all my Stark connections, and you could ... corner and flirt and whatever with Ros."

Tyrion glanced between them, seeing something that she couldn't. "I wouldn't let yourself worry Brienne, she's nowhere near his type."

"I'm not worried", she snapped. Her nervousness for the situation she'd created more for herself and what she might slip rather than any female attention Jaime may bring on himself in the process. "I have a ... healthy mistrust ..."

"And she knows I've only got eyes for her", Jaime butted in, succeeding in making her even more tongue tied than anything his brother could have come up with.

"Behind every mocking lie a little truth resides", Tyrion had muttered, a rueful smile now on his face. Looking Brienne direct in the eye, he pushed for her understanding. "Remember that for later. It might just help."

Whether he was referring to Baelish, Jaime or himself Brienne couldn't be certain.

"Shall we then?" Jaime asked pointing at the line of people moving to take their seats for the main attraction, Baelish's chaos presentation. "Or if you want to go by yourself, it doesn't look like I'll be able to stop you."

They were becoming more of a team than ever in her mind, Brienne realised, and in more ways than one which meant she probably should have shared her idea before jumping on it.

She held out a hand in some form of surrender, though Jaime did notice the gesture he didn't take it. The act itself was enough.

"Let's get this over with."

"Enjoy the show", Tyrion called after them, "And be careful."


	49. Forty Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a little longer than my usual regular updates but I hope this one is worth the wait

Jaime knew from vast years of experience that Petyr Baelish was the type of man who used secrets against people to help further his own career, so it was with an odd sense of concerned irritation that he followed Brienne across the foyer and into the presentation hall. He didn't doubt that her position within Stark Industries and their unusual burgeoning relationship would be of great interest to someone like Baelish, therefore the threat he could see the advisor potentially posing had Jaime resolutely needing to stay by Brienne's side.

He knew that she didn't really need protecting, Brienne had taken care of herself long before he had arrived on the scene as the Lannister family liasion, but that didn't mean Jaime could shake the idea that he wanted to step in the way of whatever danger she had willingly agreed to expose herself to. Other than Tyrion, who had developed a thick skin and a sharp tongue over the years as means of self-defence, Jaime had never really come across anyone who was so inclined to back him up. Even when he hadn't necessarily warranted the support.

Momentarily caught in the memories of seemingly insignificant actions, Jaime stumbled across a stunning second of self realisation that arrived and left so quickly he wasn't sure it had actually even occurred.   
　  
"... to me." He only managed to make sense of the end of Brienne's hushed words as they joined the end of a long line of people, but from her familiar tone Jaime assumed she was trying to tell him off for something he'd said or done earlier to push her out of her comfort zone. On a different woman he would have placed her embarrassment as false modesty, but Brienne didn't play those kinds of games which was continuing to be a breath of fresh air compared to some of his other experiences.

Jaime let a smile tug at the corner of his mouth, blinking ever so slightly quicker as she turned and he stared, waiting for the moment when the subtlety would frustrate Brienne enough to repeat whatever he had missed. He supposed he could have just asked, but that produced the possibility of having to admit to the already forgotten spark that distracted him in the first place. Besides he'd not yet grown tired of her adorable awkwardness when faced with direct attention.

"You shouldn't say things like that to me", Brienne finally reiterated, the words impressively slow as if that would make the meaning sink in a little deeper.

"I'll stop ... the day you admit you don't love knowing what it feels like to be thought of as a woman", he hummed back at her, feeling it was nothing but a way to get her to squirm some more. Though he had enough of a understanding that their discussion, his teasing and her biting back, should be kept only audible to each other. Baelish's girls knew everything and he guessed that meant they were always listening.

"That doesn't matter", Brienne was on the defensive already, arms crossed as she turned around, wiping away a couple of his earlier statements in one move, "I'd rather be thought of ... and seen as competent ... here."

So she had picked up on Baelish's underhanded tactics, Jaime had to give her credit for her speed with that at least. Instead that stupid protective streak reared it's ugly head when he opened his mouth. "What did he say to you?"

"He's a weasel, but ... I've come across the type before."

"Brienne?" he prodded, quite literally tapping at her shoulder as the line began to move steadily.

"I'll be fine, Jaime." He could almost hear her breathing, feel the quiver of nerves across all the places still covered by her sodden coat, "All my life ... men like him have been ... sneering at me and ... I've dealt with them. I can handle it for a few minutes more."

Given her resigned tone Jaime thought that he should have punched Hunt when he'd been given the chance, though he too had done his fair share of sneering at Brienne over the last few months. "I'm coming with you", he decided, falling back onto normality with a bang, not thinking it through for longer than it took to say the words. "There's no way in hell I'm  going to let you do this alone."

"You don't ... have the right to tell me what I can't do", she hissed, "Not even if we were d ...." There was a long pause as she terminated her train of thought, continuing much softer than before, "I thought it would help you ... if he was ... somewhere else ..."

"Thank you." Brienne stopped dead in her tracks and he almost went careeing into her, his chest flush against her back for half a second. "You're still not doing this on your own though."

"Jaime", she whispered in near exasperation, his name sounding very close to a sigh and if she was meaning to shut him up then any other noise Brienne could have produced would have been a better choice. There was a temptation to do something discrete though inappropriate, but unexpectedly he thought better of it before it could be followed it through. 

Blaming sustained exposure to Brienne and her well defined values he huffed out a breath, "Fine. You distract him, I'll take on Tyrion's redhead."

A girl in shiny black satin asked for their tickets as Jaime stopped muttering under his breath, Brienne retrieving them from his clenched fist and handing them over.

"And we'll meet up at Tyrell's as soon as we are done", she whispered as he slid past her into his seat. "After ... we've finished here ... we can ...."

"After", he repeated and she smiled a tiny shy smile as Ros brought the room to order. Jaime's head swam, and he had to centre himself again. Even if he couldn't bring himself to really care about the way she looked now she was letting him little by little, Brienne still had a strange innocent way of pushing him into a contented state of desire.

I could fall for her, Jaime thought, the realisation blaring longer and hotter the second time around. She stripped off a layer of wet material and shivered down beside him, the cold of her left arm grazing against his warmer right side.

As the lights went down Brienne allowed herself to lean a little more into him, all eyes staring at Baelish's entrance.

Maybe, the realisation screamed at Jaime louder, maybe he already was.


	50. Fifty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I said forty and I'm now at fifty. I should just stop guessing at how long these stories are going to take!. Hopefully this chapter doesn't seem to far removed from the Baelish showdown and room sharing that are coming!

The lights rose gently back up to a normal level some time later and although Brienne could hear the applause ringing out around her ears, neither her or Jaime made any effort to join the rest of the awestruck audience in showing their apparent appreciation for whatever Baelish had been selling for the last hour and a half.

"Complete and utter bullshit", Jaime muttered, his tense sardonic smile for her eyes only.

"You were warned", Brienne replied dryly, scribbling a couple of things down in her notebook as she reminded him of how Tyrion had easily and accurately summed up the presentation in a handful of words.

"And you don't get to say I told you so", amusement was creeping back around the edges of his voice, careful not to disrupt his aura of general dislike of the little man now bowing to the packed audience. 

Brienne was caught in between shrugging or shoving, the movement coming out as an awkward twitch and for once Jaime didn't actually grin like he'd goaded her into doing something she hadn't meant to reveal to him. In fact, there appeared to be a little concern colouring his face as easy as embarrassment normally coloured hers. Brienne supposed that could have been caused by multiple shivers he probably felt when she pressed a little too much of her weight into his radiating warmth. If they'd had the time or privilege of being able to go straight to the hotel then she could have stood under a hot shower, at least until she felt more like herself. Or, there was a little Jaime like voice in her head playing devils advocate, she could have just curled herself around him and gone to sleep once they had shared enough body heat to eventually find themselves at the point of exhaustion.

Brienne pushed that unwanted thought aside, after, later, maybe, deciding in hindsight that she really should have deferred to the Lannister's deep pockets and fancy cars to prevent any possible virus she may have just made herself more susceptible to. In a world where Jaime cared more about her feelings than her physicality, that version might have been tempted to try and look after her should she actually fall sick. The idea of having him in her apartment, snarky and god forbid maybe tender, amazingly provided an even more stimulating image than that of being stretched out alongside him, skin to skin.

"Were you making notes like a teachers pet or have you actually come up with a plan?" Jaime put his hand in the way before she could close the notebook, both of them hidden for now behind the jostling and departing rows to their front. If Brienne was being perfectly honest she hadn't really been paying all that much attention since Baelish's overblown welcome and something about chaos theory. It had reminded her of freshman physics, a compulsory hour every week she would have preferred to have spent swimming, and the surprisingly potent combination of his oddly accented droning voice and Jaime's all encompassing familiarity had pushed her into working through a few possible meeting scenarios in her head.

"I don't always take notes", Brienne ran through the words, knowing it was stretching the truth a little, "And Baelish has enough ... to not want me ...."

"I assure you, that's his loss."

She ignored that even though her face probably didn't, not acknowledging what part of her sentence it was actually aimed at. Brienne focused on the idea that Jaime in his boredom may have picked up on the same thing she had, and she manoeuvred the conversation in a less personal direction.

"The girls are mainly redheads"

Jaime laughed and she felt almost proud that she'd been quicker than him at spotting a visual clue, "You should have brought Sansa Stark along for the ride. I know you two are friends now."

"I wouldn't ... do that to her. I ... wouldn't throw her into Baelish's path"

"But you'll do that to yourself?"

"I'm ... interesting ... or maybe intriguing but not ... beautiful or ..."

"Beauty isn't everything you know", Jaime shot her a saddened lop sided smile and she hated him for that tiny reassurance he probably didn't even realise he was giving away. "But I'm guessing you're smart enough to have figured out that one a while back."

It sounded like his own realisation on the subject had been a lot more recent and Brienne almost asked him if that had been to do with .. Her, but stopped herself quickly. Another something for after, later, maybe.

"It may give me .. an advantage then", Brienne half smiled. It probably wouldn't, not against Baelish and his shrewd gaze but if she could only believe it then even the idea on it's own might help.

Jaime slowly removed his hand from where it remained, allowing her to pack up the rest of her things as his fingers thumbed through her ruminations. It was mainly pages and pages of issues from strategy meetings but he managed to find the one page it would have been better he hadn't seen.

"Well that takes me back", he mocked  as she tried to snatch the book away, "I haven't seen that since college and you know how old I am." 

"Who says that's about you?"

"Cocky, arrogant jerk", he repeated the words she'd scribbled in barely legible  writing in several margins during the first couple of weeks they were forced together.  "Pretty sure you weren't referring to any one of your devoted staff members when you wrote that."

"Shut up"

Surprisingly he did, momentarily, as she flagged down a satin wrapped redhead. 

"Have fun", Jaime told her as the girl waved Brienne in the right direction, "Just text if you need me to come to the ..."

"I am capable of attending a meeting on my own. I don't .. need your help."

"I'll see you later then", his voice dropped and she stupidly strained to hear whatever he had decided to use to embarrass her with, "When you'll need me for something else I'm sure."

Brienne's eyes rolled automatically, her face burning at the suggestion as she followed the girl down the stairs, behind the podium and up to Baelish. And hopefully the truth about Jaime's involvement in the Red Wedding.


	51. Fifty One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been on a train all day so I tried to do something productive and write, hence this quick and very long update.

"I'll just check he's ready for you", the receptionist was yet another pretty  redhead and Brienne wondered how aware Baelish was of the fact that a lot of his employees bore more than a slight resemblance to her boss. Or at least a younger version of Catelyn. Probably somewhere closer to Sansa if she really thought about it, which instantly made him far creepier than Brienne had noticed at first glance. There was a quick but distinct feeling of relief that Jaime had not known about Baelish's predilections beforehand as her colleague, partner, friend was impressively persuasive when he wanted to be and Sansa Stark was in no way prepared to go up against Petyr Baelish. 

Brienne wasn't even sure she was.

Even if she forgot about not wanting to throw her new friend into harms way, Sansa and Jaime together in the same room for an extended period of time may have posed an all together more terrifying prospect for her future. For the first time since it was handed to her, Brienne actually wondered what Sansa had packed for her beyond the couple of things she'd given a cursory glance at while waiting for Jaime.

It wasn't like she had anything embarrassing in her closet, certainly not sexy embarrassing as Jaime would have no doubt enjoyed, but Brienne really hadn't had many opportunities to completely trust anyone like she'd been doing the last few days and it was still difficult to come to terms with.

The receptionist sent her what could only be described as a pitying smile and Brienne decided it would be a far better option to look at all the articles and pictures on the walls, rather than have to suffer the interest and possible silent ridicule from yet another person who couldn't see past the way she looked.

At the half hidden picture of a pre-teen Catelyn, an older girl who must have been her sister and a small dark haired boy Brienne stopped. It was as if Baelish was trying to surround himself with reminders of what he'd given up or lost on his way to the top. She thought about how it would feel to be surrounded by more than just the memories of almost Renly, almost Jaime, and realised how much it would hurt to see that every single day instead of being able to forget.

Among other things, it seemed to her that Petyr Baelish was a bit of a masochist and there was nothing she had to hand that could work that to her advantage. Brienne only hoped Jaime was having a better time, otherwise this whole trip would have been a waste.

"You can go in now Miss Tarth", the pitying look was still in place along with a fake friendly smile and Brienne thanked the girl politely. She could be professional even if no one else around here wanted to be.

"Would you care for some tea Brienne?" Baelish asked as she knocked on the already open door, just like they were old friends and today was something they had done many times before. It was disconcerting, though she thought that was probably the point. 

"No thank you. I wouldn't like to take up ... any more of your time than is necessary."

Brienne stepped through the ebony panelled doors to find that Baelish's office was vast and overly luxurious, full of too much velvet and leather for her sensible tastes. The air felt thick despite the single open window into the grey rain, warm and relaxing which was making her head spin a little. 

"Well take a seat", Baelish gestured at a high backed velvet chair, "And let me know what was so important it couldn't warrant an overnight stay in one of the cities many exquisite hotels."

Brienne took a deep breath, sitting down on one of the normal black office chairs, recognising from her many stand offs with Jaime that often the power in a room was held by the smallest of margins and she could use every sliver of strength right now. "I'd like to ask you about Mockingbird."

"Mockingbird?" Baelish twinkled at her, the hair rising on the back of her neck as he hadn't automatically gone on the defensive. "I haven't heard that name in a long time. I'm not sure you would even be old enough to remember the details." 

Where Jaime had mocked her about the same lack of knowledge, Brienne had come to the conclusion that the Lannister man was more than a little intrigued or obsessed with her youth, Baelish stated it as a matter of fact with a surprising lack of judgement.

"You had a deal with the Tully's..." Brienne removed her eyes from one of dark purple walls and met his, keeping a good professional contact that meetings involving Jaime sometimes tended to veer away from.

Even though she'd only met Tyrion that morning, she was beginning to think that Tywin Lannister might have sent the brother with the wrong skill set to Stark Industries all those months ago. She also couldn't very well see the younger man mocking her relentlessly because of the way she looked, though maybe the way she acted would still be fair game, given that Tyrion was outside of what was classed as physically 'normal' as well. 

"That I did", Baelish smiled dangerously again and she thought that maybe having Jaime at her side wouldn't have been such a bad idea after all, if only she could have been certain he would have avoided doing or saying anything stupid. "Water under the proverbial bridge I assure you. And as you don't look like you would pay much attention to the society pages I will let you be the first to congratulate me on my recent engagement to Lysa Arryan, Catelyn's sister."

Brienne stuttered over the compliment, not knowing why it mattered other than for Baelish to use as a way of putting her on the back foot but she was slowly getting used to that sort of tactic.

"So as you can tell, the bad blood between myself and the Tully's has long been washed away", Baelish looked across at her, "Are you sure you won't sit a little closer Brienne?"

The air was starting to make her feel queasy by that point, but even as she wondered what exactly he pumped into the atmosphere that was affecting her so badly Brienne stayed firmly where she was.

"And what of the Lannisters?"

"I would guess that a woman in your position would be better informed of Lannister business than someone like me", she heard the gentle emphasis of suggestion on several words and blushed, likely betraying her rendezvous with Jaime.

"They have deep pockets and always pay their debts", Baelish continued, "Though with the way you've been looking at dear Jaime you're not here today because of the monetary reward."

"He's a friend", Brienne hadn't labelled it as anything else so couldn't explain why her heartbeat had just doubled.

"I had a friend like that once", he told her sadly, "Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be. Children can be so cruel"

Brienne tried to keep her face free of anything but cool composure, but it was difficult not to nod as she was reminded of the bullying she faced during her own childhood. She didn't want to empathise with Baelish but the likely parallels were too strong.

"So you're not in business with the Lannister's then?" Her brow wrinkled as she asked the question, slowly making sense of a vast wave of probably useless information.

"Other than Tyrion and Jaime being here today, I haven't been in contact with any member of the Lannister family for months", Baelish fixed her in a narrowing glare, "Now Brienne, I've humoured your oddly leading questions this long due to my ... connections with Catelyn, but unless you want to stop hiding behind your less than convincing lies then I think it may be time for you to leave."

He was still smiling when he pressed a button on his desk, calling for the receptionist, and Brienne blurted out something that was probably pushing the Jaime scale of dumb moves.

"Why have you, has Mockingbird, been involved in every step of Robb Stark's failed senate run?"

"Really? How interesting." Brienne waited for him to rub his hands together like a comic book villain, Baelish looking so excited with the obviously new piece of information. "Although it's soon to become public record that I sold the Mockingbird name and all it's subsidiaries to Tywin Lannister over the summer."

Brienne closed her eyes for a second or two, sealed records were one of the few things her and Pia hadn't been able to get into. Mockingbird had been so blatant, the company popping up again and again over several years, it had never even occurred to her that something else, somebody else could have been pulling the strings.

Baelish's finger hovered, studying her disappointment, "Despite outward appearances, I bear no ill will towards Cat or any of her brood. Red has never been my colour."

She exhaled heavily as she thought of what this hadn't resolved and how much trouble this meeting was going to land her in work, because there was little doubt in her mind that Baelish wasn't going to let it slip at some future family gathering.

His voice was silky smooth when he pushed her for another answer, fancy camouflage over poison. "One final thing Brienne before you miss your train, tell me if public opinion drops with regards to the Stark family name who stands to gain most from it?"

"Lannister", she whispered, pain and embarrassment blooming not far behind.

"I think, my dear, your friend may have played you. Just because you're in  love with him doesn't mean you've not been getting into bed with a less than honourable man."

"He wouldn't ... I don't ..." it was too much all in one go and Brienne couldn't even finish one sentence before jumping to another.

"The Lannister's look after their own, and your tame lion still bleeds red and gold if he's cut. Not grey and black and certainly not blue."

"Thank you ... for your time", Brienne reluctantly shook Baelish's hand before she left, feeling his victorious smile hang over her all the way out of the building.


	52. Fifty Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thank you's to everyone who is continuing to read, comment and kudos even after 50+ chapters! I am so happy that this is still of interest to some people!!!
> 
> We are in the home stretch now, not all that much more to explore within this story, I'm guessing it should all be done by the end of this week.
> 
> Thank you again :)

The gold and green rose of Tyrell hung over Brienne as she stepped into the welcoming winter air and back onto the streets of Kingsland. There had been a few people still milling around in the entrance of The Institute as she tried to leave quicker than her feet wanted to carry her, caught in a daze from the words slapped across her face and heavily perfumed air, though even through that confusion a very brief glance did note that both Tyrion and Jaime were conspicuous in their absence at the bar. She guessed the former had likely disappeared off home, possibly with one of the waitresses he'd been eyeing, though the latter would be waiting for her somewhere under the giant looming floral pattern. 

Her stomach clenched unpleasantly as she realised that Baelish's words had been a nasty reminder of how little she really knew about Jaime other than the half truths and speculation she'd picked up over the years from untrustworthy news sources. Brienne knew they had a mutual trust, but the nerves that hadn't stopped bubbling away since the restaurant had now come back tenfold, to gnaw away at her resolve over what she wanted.

The earlier downpour had eased back into soaking drizzle and Brienne ignored the cold, eyeing the rose with apprehension as she double checked the time on her train ticket. She still had half an hour before it left, and there was no reason why she couldn't call Jaime now so that they both could go home to their own beds tonight. It would be the far more sensible option, she thought, instead of deciding to have sex for the first time in an expensive hotel room like some bizarre version of prom night. 

"Brienne", a voice called out and she jumped at the sound, so caught up in her own thoughts and the ticking clock that she hadn't noticed Tyrion's town car purring on the her side of the street. 

"Can I offer you a ride anywhere?" He asked as he briefly stuck his head out of the window, "I hate to see a damsel in distress."

"I'm not a ... damsel", she spat out, mentally taking back her earlier statement about Tyrion being potentially easier to work with. The fairytale idea of maidens and damsels was seemingly shared by the brothers.

He smiled, tucking his head back into the warmth, "You are a girl that my brother is besotted with and you're currently about ten minutes away from standing in a thunderstorm. You might not be a typical damsel but you may as well take my offered assistance."

Brienne looked at the sky, the grey already darkening and considered the car with a great degree of wariness. "Anywhere I want?"

"Well within reason", Tyrion called back  pleasantly, "I'm not going to take you back up North but I'll take you to get a train. If that's what you want."

She fingered the tickets in her pocket carefully, wondering if he was speaking a truth she hadn't come to yet. 

"I think I'll just walk, it ... probably won't take me ... long to get to ... where I'm going."

Tyrion had to strain to follow her eye line, head craned out of the window to look up at the seemingly sweet symbol of power.

"It'll be my pleasure to take you Brienne", he beamed, "Its on my way home anyway, so there won't be any debt."

"It's just around the corner", Brienne sighed, pointing at the building dominating the skyline. She was coming to the conclusion that relying on Lannister kindness was a bad idea, especially after Baelish had insinuated  that it might have been all misplaced.

"Apparences can be deceptive", Tyrion replied as he opened a door for her, cowering away from the rain that fell into the open space, "It's about twelve city blocks."

She raised her eyebrows in disbelief, although Kingsland was a much bigger place than she was used to Brienne was pretty sure it wouldn't have taken her more than five minutes to reach her destination on foot. She stared at the open door and the little man waiting for her to move.

Tyrion gestured again, "Trust me", he shook his head at her stubbornness, "I  can't have you turning up to see my brother half frozen. You're the one thing that has made this day bearable for him."

Brienne found it was all too easy to comply to Tyrion's wishes after that, her mouth working away but little sound coming out after the words bearable and besotted hit. Stumbling  into the car no less gracefully the second time around she cowered against a door before curling her legs under her.

The ride was uncomfortable, neither party speaking more than obvious pleasantries about the weather or work, Brienne not wanting to discuss her discoveries with anyone but Jaime. Who she thought might be too interested in playing to hear them that night.

"Be gentle with him Brienne", Tyrion told her as they pulled up outside the hotel sometime later. "Just because he doesn't like to talk about it doesn't mean my brother won't be hurt when you reject him."

Brienne's heart took over from the rational part of her brain, not daring to look at the man across from her for fear he would pass comment on hearing her final decision. "I don't ... want to reject him. I think .. I know I care about him."

Tyrion just smiled like he'd known something along those lines before they had even met and offered his hand, "I hope to see you again very soon. I don't think I've had such an ... interesting day in a long time. Tell Jaime he has to bring you down here regularly and not just keep you to himself."

She nodded solemnly as she thought about him 'keeping' her and found it wasnt entirely unpleasant, popping open the door as an attempt to extricate herself from the comfortableness money easily bought.

"Brienne, don't think so much", Tyrion sent his own version of goodbye, "Trust your gut and you'll be fine, I promise."

Lannister' lie, she thought and let the idea echo as she stepped into the shiny lobby of the hotel. Every one of them was a better liar than she was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So since I seem to be more than capable of writing smut it has been very difficult to gage what exactly is going to happen next as I don't really want to spoil this story with excessiveness. (However I am still thinking it over and am probably open to persuasion)
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	53. Fifty Three

The little brunette who had found her earlier in the day waved Brienne over to the vast arrival desk as soon as her eyes grew accustomed to the odd juxtaposition of ornate antique detailing alongside the fresh bloom of nature in the lobby. 

"Miss Tarth." She gestured with a wave again, friendly but not overly so, as Brienne attempted to sidestep around a couple of exiting patrons and got herself terribly muddled in the process. The painted women giving her a look that seemed to ask what someone like her was doing surrounded by such pretty exclusive glamour.

Brienne wondered if Margaery knew that by being so generous she would be pushing the taller woman as far out of her comfort zone as she had ever been. Team building exercises aside, and even then when given the choice Brienne had preferred to take her young team on outdoor pursuits, she had never been inside such a place. 

She let out her breath, shoulders thrown back and head held high with false confidence as she crossed the golden marble floor into the welcome embrace of the Tyrell family. Brienne may not have usually been the kind of girl who showed up at hotels for proposed late afternoon dalliances with almost boyfriends, but Jaime Lannister was proving time and time again to be a very special case.

The brunette beamed, the neatly placed name tag now identifying her as Elinor, as Brienne set her small bag on the desk and braced herself for awkward small talk.

"Welcome to the Kingsland branch of Tyrell's Hotels, Miss Tarth. Miss Tyrell has personally assured that your stay is with compliments of the family so please do take advantage of our many facilities", Elinor was talking so quickly Brienne couldn't find time to respond. "You will need your key card to access the elevator..."

"I don't have the key", Brienne blushed, "I gave it to ..."

"Your guest", Elinor finished for her with another genuine smile before awkwardness could descend, "Miss Tyrell notified us that you may not be alone."

Brienne resolved to spend a lot of extra time on the Tyrell account that coming week, even if she had to take it home with her, as this stay probably far exceeded what could be legitimately classed as a gift under company policy. 

"You're on the eighteenth floor. Room eighteen-thirty-three", Elinor handed over an identical key card with a slight frown at the computer screen in front of her, "Sorry room eighteen-forty-six. Dinner and breakfast are served in the restaurant on the eighth floor though we do have twenty four hour room service should you prefer. We hope you enjoy your stay."

"Thank you", Brienne spluttered out, taking the piece of plastic that was the gateway into something terrifyingly new, feeling sure her face was a ridiculous shade of red by that point. A lack of subtlety apparently being something that her and Jaime shared.

The elevator was air conditioned, even with the near freezing temperatures outside, but far too quick for her to think over anything more than a couple of burning issues. 'You love him', Baelish's voice whispered and she pushed it away only to be replaced by Tyrion telling her that all Lannisters lie.

Love was an impossible word worse than any other curse Baelish could have come up with, though closing her eyes to feel the speedy climb Brienne couldn't deny that it would be nice to know what it felt like to be loved as more than a daughter at some point.

She wondered what that said about her as she heard the door open.

Brienne later wouldn't recall what colour the carpet was, or the walls, or what exactly the paintings along the corridor were of but she would remember the way her heartbeat pumped stronger with each step towards Jaime. Apprehension rose in her belly, feeling like something really was fluttering around in there as her mouth went dry. She only hoped that some of her powers of speech would remain by the time she got to the borrowed room. 

Her hands trembled as Brienne tried to open the door with the card, so much so that the plastic slipped out of her shaking grip. Maybe, she thought, she wasn't actually ready to do this after all.

The door swung open as she bent down to pick up the tiny flower, and she felt Jaime's eyes rake over her like he was checking for her imperfections to help him believe she had come to him willingly.

"Hi", she mumbled, watching as his strange melancholy turned into excited relief. Jaime took her hand forcefully to pull her into the softly lit room. Brienne didn't even get a chance to get a good look around the space before his arms cradled her body, one circling her waist as the other tugged at her hair to encourage her head down to his. 

She took a step back, Jaime having no option but to follow and her back gently fell against a solid structure as her stomach continued to swirl. It just about dropped to the floor as his mouth finally found hers.

Equal parts passion and promise this time, Brienne gave herself over to their mutual interest, their rising issues hitting fever pitch as his hands began to grip and wander. 

"Baelish said ...", she told him as Jaime gave her a second to catch her breath, searching out the soft skin he'd found while still half asleep. 

"Completely the wrong thing to say when I'm trying to undress you", he spoke into her skin and the vibration it produced was a happy burst of unfamiliarity. 

"Baelish wasn't...", she tried again as a hand slipped under material to rest comfortably at the small of her back. There was barely a curve there, but Jaime found it anyway. 

"He wasn't involved ..." the end of that thought finishing in a groaning sound that took Brienne a while to realise had come from her. Jaime's fingers starting to brush against her skin in such a way that almost made the strong muscles in her thighs quiver. The idea that she was being ridiculous crossed her mind, a flicker of sanity, before Jaime took a step back and her world turned green.

"Again, do you want me to stop because I will if you insist on bringing up off putting subjects", there was amusement there as normal though tinged with something Brienne could only gather was disappointment.

"Baelish wasn't involved", she tried to get all her thoughts out in one go though with what she was going to say it was likely the moment would be lost anyway. "It was Mockingbird, but he sold it ... over the summer to your ... father."

Jaime shook his head, disentangling himself reluctantly to stalk backwards on to the large bed. Correction, Brienne thought as she finally got a chance to look at the room, one of the large beds.

"You changed our room", she muttered in disbelief, feeling a huge rush of affection for Jaime that led her to sit down beside him. "Two beds?"

"Just in case", he glanced up at her and away before she could smile, Jaime's mind clearly moving somewhere else.

"Are you sure it was my father?"

"It's to go public ... soon", Brienne rested her hand on his back gently as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I didn't think they wanted me back. Not my father and certainly not her", Jaime was thinking out loud and Brienne failed to not to get caught up in it.

She knew she shouldn't care, not since he admitted she was the only one he was thinking of, flirting with, kissing ravenously, but somehow it did matter. She wanted him to be able to trust her with anything.

"Jaime, who is she?"

He shot her a heartbreakingly raw look and Brienne steeled herself for whatever blow was coming.

"My sister."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I just went there. (Sorry, not sorry)


	54. Fifty Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This became twice the length of a normal chapter in the writing but I couldn't really find a space to break it without ending in angst so heres the aftermath of the sister/lover bombshell.

Jaime felt the gentle pressure against his back lift, Brienne removing her supportive touch for a second before pressing her large hand to his shoulder. A fingertip unknowingly grazed along his skin and an urgent hunger for her blazed deep inside him again, with such a fire it forced him to shut his eyes. Though at the same time Jaime found he couldn't stand how gentle she was being when she should have been shoving him away with all of her strength.

"Siblings fight", she murmured although it didn't sound like it was coming from a place of personal knowledge. As her little finger crooked and followed a path along his neck to the stubble at his chin, Jaime realised that Brienne's innocence had apparently produced a disconnect that hadn't allowed her to process the offered information correctly. To be fair to her though, Jaime wondered how many people would have put the 'her' of his ex girlfriend and the 'her' of his sister together as one person.

His response to her compassion was blunt, forcing Brienne to accept the truth of his past. To accept him as he was, like she'd seemingly accepted him in the present.

"So do lovers."

She shook her head, eyes growing to huge saucers of sapphire blue as her warmth finally left him. Jaime guessed her brain was working close to a hundred miles an hour as he carefully watched her deal with the bombshell.

"No." Brienne whispered, her face blanching so much it looked like all her freckles were standing to attention. She didn't move completely from the bed, but Jaime felt it shift significantly as she slid to the far end. "No", she repeated as if her continued denial would make the spectre of Cersei float away. "That's not right ... you ... her ... it's not possible ... it's not."

He tried to follow her line of thinking, the words that reached his ears straddling somewhere between disgusted and disappointed. Jaime could handle the disgust, rumours and blind items about the parentage of his sister's children had closed him off to that emotion somewhat, but the disappointment actually hurt. Cursing both Brienne's stubbornness and innocence, Jaime pushed the pain away before he could realise it was only there because he cared deeply about the girl now recoiling from his presence.

In hindsight he could agree with some of her reasoning, it hadn't been an entirely healthy relationship but speaking those words aloud couldn't negate what had actually happened. And besides, it had felt beyond right, fated, perfect, at the time.

"We can't choose who we love."

That made Brienne jump from the edge of the bed, a frightened animal flying across the room quicker than the time she had inadvertently felt how aroused he'd grown when she had been sighing and pressing into his lap.

Her eyes were still pools of conflicted emotion but she seemed to be giving him a look of recognition, perhaps even of agreement before she spoke again. 

"Why are you telling me this ... now?"

Her stumbling reactions and confusion were exactly why he hadn't brought it up earlier in the day, selfishly thinking he could save them both the hurt of airing his indiscretions. Jaime tried not to think about Cersei too much now, but her face was everywhere since her bloody sitcom had gone into syndication. He hadn't actually spoken to her since being banished to Stark Industries, and although he didn't feel completely free of his sister's grasp yet the leash had almost disappeared.

Jaime shrugged, he hadn't actually planned to tell Brienne like that, not really, but half an hour or so before they were going to hit the point of no return with their friendship her kind curiosity and the ridiculous amount of trust shining out of her oddly reassuring face had made him tell the truth. 

"You asked." 

Brienne regarded him carefully from her position leaning against an extravagant yet empty wardrobe, her mind once again working quicker than her mouth. "So if I asked you ... what you had for breakfast yesterday or ... how many times you thought about me on Thursday you'd tell that as well?"

"Eggs. And sixteen." He smiled slowly, despite the situation they were in his face reacted to her simple questioning easily, knowing he never really did count she was just always there now. "At least sixteen."

He saw her sigh, settling her weight a little further back into the solid piece of furniture, like she was fighting between forgiveness and abandonment. "How long has it been since ... you and her were ... together?"

It was noticeably a less hurtful question than asking how long they had been together and Jaime tried to catch her eye before answering. She was protecting herself, the little girl who'd probably been picked on by girl's like Cersei coming to the surface.

"Four and a half years."

Brienne somehow managed to simultaneously scowl and brighten at that, "That long? No wonder you wanted to ..." 

"This isn't what this is about", he sneered as he gestured around the room, "You can walk out of the door right now and I won't hold it against you. We can go back to being adversarial colleagues tomorrow and forget all of this happened. I have other ways to satisfy myself."

She dropped her head, the sudden scarlet sweeping across her skin like an easy sunrise and Jaime saw a way in. 

"You too I'm guessing."

If it was possible for her to blaze any hotter, he was pretty sure those four words would have done some significant damage. Brienne held up one finger silently and he didn't know if she was saying once or asking him to be quiet before her head fell back against the dark wood, eyes closing to the whispered possibilities the room was still providing for their evening.

"You were with her for a long time", it was more a statement than a question and Jaime found himself nodding even though she couldn't see it from behind her tightly closed eyes. "And you loved her", the blue reappeared suddenly and in that moment he cared little that Brienne had managed to catch him staring like a love sick fool.

He nodded again, hoping the quick movements across her face was just his imagination playing tricks on him. 

"Of course I loved her", he snapped and Brienne attempted to take a further step away from the venom in his voice even though she was basically against the wall already. "I gave up everything for her once and didn't regret it for a second."

She was fading back to guarded wariness, nervously eyeing him and appearing to be unsure of how exactly he wanted her to reply. Brienne didn't have to speak a single word, Jaime thought, it was just a relief that no matter how repulsed she was she hadn't ran yet.

"Until five years ago", he admitted.

"And you broke up then."

"It wasn't as simple as that", he rebuked, "but yes that was the beginning of the end."

"Did ... the rest of your family know?"

"If they didn't then they were blind or stupid. Tyrion knew, he always knows everything."

Jaime could have sworn that there was a little twitch from Brienne at that, but he continued regardless.

"I don't know how much attention you pay to celebrity gossip but she married young."

"To the television producer Robert Baratheon, I know that much. He died a little while back", she took a breath, "I worked with his brother Renly, he was ... devastated."

Jaime thought there probably was a little more to that, she was uttered Renly Baratheon's name like it was something absolutely fucking precious. "You didn't realise he was gay straight off did you?"

She shook her head and Jaime wanted to laugh at the absurdity, to kiss her until she forgot any name but his, apparently neither of them knew exactly what was good for them.

"At the time she was pregnant ..."

Brienne took a quick gasp of air, "Don't tell me ..."

"I honestly don't know." It was possible Jaime thought, certainly more with Mrycy and her golden curls but the boys were darker and he had no inclination with them either way. He checked for Brienne's reaction and she at least wasn't crying, wasn't melting, from everything he was unloading on her and in awe of her strength the words kept coming. 

"I came to Kingsland, still a teenager, under the guise of working for my father to be near her." It had been a single minded need, both selfish and selfless, to be possessed by love.

"What happened?" Jaime turned away, her voice being too soft.

"You were ... with her ... for ... most of ... my lifetime. Something must ... have changed."

"She wanted more, movie parts, endorsements, millions of dollars to get out of bed in the morning. There were affairs."

"I'm sorry." Jaime jerked his head up, Brienne wasn't supposed to be good or nice or kind, she was supposed to slam the door in his face and storm away. "I think Baelish might know."

Of course he did, Jaime thought, it would mean the weasel had something to hang over the Lannister family should he need it. It might have even kept Cersei in television rather than letting her become a huge star as she'd wanted. Though confirming a nagging doubt didn't explain why Brienne was still in the room.

"Why are you still here? You've got time to make your train."

"No I don't. I'm sleeping in that bed tonight", she paused, uncertain, hesitant, his truths pushing her away. "What are we supposed to do now?"

"Whatever you want", Jaime told her as nonchalant as he could manage.

"I think ... I want a shower."

He lay back, reaching for one of the magazines the hotel had left on the table in between the two beds, "Go ahead, I'll be here if you want to talk or anything after." 

Brienne blinked slowly, not realising that by doing so it was pulling him in even more carefully than normal. "I do ... I did ... want this, us, but ... tonight wouldn't be ... the best idea ... not now."

She was moving towards embarrassed again but Jaime didn't notice after the blatant admission. "I love surprises remember", he snarked, not letting something as stupid as feelings get in the way again. "So I'll be happy to do this if and when you deem it 'right'."

There was a twitch of a smile and a blush, hopefully both marks of trust although there wasn't a single word to back it up. So he pushed back a little, testing to see how far she was willing to stand by him.

"Though whatever vanilla fantasies you've been cooking up won't be anything like the real thing."

Brienne must have stopped breathing at some point during the tease as he could see the pulse point on her neck throbbing, fighting for oxygen, and he couldn't decide if it was rage or lust fuelling her. 

Probably a bit of both if he was being honest.

Her breathing returned as she rolled her eyes, whispering across the room "They say ... I've read ... Wasn't your ... first time awful?"

Jaime considered it, trying to recall the very first time with Cersei without it hurting in his head or heart. In the end he just grinned, "Maybe the first time, but I wasn't planning on leaving it there."

He got a cushion in his face for the audacity, something new from her, catching Brienne muttering under her breath as she made her way to the bathroom.

"I really do hate you sometimes."

She wasn't alone in thinking that, though Jaime wondered what that meant she was feeling about him the rest of the time and why exactly she hadn't left.


	55. Fifty Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a roll today with this, I managed to get almost three chapters drafted and this one completed!
> 
> So this chapter might not actually move the story forward much, but I wanted to leave it in so there'll be an easier transition to the next stage of their relationship. And I really hope it doesn't come across as too quick of an acceptance.

His sister, Brienne thought as she locked the bathroom door and slid down to the floor, hoping the feeling in the pit of her stomach was more to do with a flurry of nerves leaving than any need to throw up. Closing her eyes she rested her noisy mind for a minute or two, listening to Jaime move around the room and the television go on.

Despite the door and solid wall between them Brienne still managed to feel throughly exposed as she shed her clothing, she could almost hear Jaime breathing and it felt too close, too intimate after what he had shared.

His sister, she thought again as she finally stepped into the shower, his sister broke his heart.

The water cascaded down on her, boiling hot but just the right side of comfortable, as Brienne worked through her remaining highly conflicted feelings. She wondered if there was a possibility she could take the trust, the selflessness Jaime had shown in telling her before anything happened to help them both move forward. Together. It even seemed strange to think that around five years ago both of them were dealing with their own romantic issues, though her problems with Hunt and the bet seemed to be in a different league to Jaime fathering a child with his own bloody sister.

However if, as everyone else seemed to take joy in insinuating, she was actually falling in love with him then it was going to hurt more than just him if she decided to walk out and leave Jaime alone tonight. Obviously, she told herself, they weren't going to sleep together but there was no reason why they couldn't eat and talk and act like reasonable human beings before they returned in the morning. There may even be a game on somewhere and Jaime could mock her allegiances while she quietly argued with the refereeing decisions.

With a smile on her face she reached into the unknown, delving into the bag packed by her house guest. Something about trusting a teenage girl who didn't appear to own anything that wasn't lavender or print making Brienne a little nervous that the bag would be full of flimsy summer things that would give Jaime a vast array of skin to tease and gawp at. 

Instead there was only warm, practical clothing inside, including her much loved pale grey sweats that she usually collapsed into after long sessions at the gym. Brienne mentally apologised to her friend until her hands hit on something  that definetly didn't belong to her. Lifting out the small parcel wrapped in soft noisy paper, instantly reminding her of the carpet in Jaime's office during their thrilling meetings, her heart stopped momentarily as she took in Sansa's note.

'Thanks for letting me stay Brie. Knock him dead!'

Her hands trembled as she opened the package, yet another gift that she seemed to be accumulating today, every one questioning the truth of her very real infatuation with Jaime.

The sapphire blue camisole slid across her palm, silky soft and by far the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Beauty must call to beauty, Brienne thought as she held it up to herself, expecting to laugh at the ridiculousness of the garment but catching her breath instead. Granted the steam was doing a lot to haze away some of her ugliness but the thing in her hands was the exact same shade blue as her eyes. It even looked like it might fit.

For some reason the thought of Jaime tearing it off in a moment of passion ran through her head and her skin prickled even as the steam rose off the freckled surface. 

Shoving the thing away in embarrassment at her suddenly dirty mind, she redressed and took a deep breath before unlocking the door.

"What are you watching?" Brienne asked as she stepped back into the room in a flurry of steam, Jaime perched on the end the tiny green sofa. 

"Casablanca." He didn't even look up as he replied, but she padded over anyway to sit down at his side.

"I've never seen it", she admitted, trying to keep a little distance between them but their knees brushed as she attempted to curl herself into the corner. 

Jaime looked at her then, caught, held forever in her gaze until he shook his head. "So young", he muttered and she moved to shove him gently as she relaxed. He knocked her back, shoulder to shoulder and let out a great exhale as his smile finally returned.

They were going to be alright, Brienne thought as she moved back to her corner, she did trust him after all and five years was a long time. Maybe it wouldn't take her that long to work through it and they could resume their normal dance.

Though it was far too early to really think about sleeping her eyes felt heavy as she watched the black and white movie, subconsciously moving a little closer to the warmth by her side until her head was resting in a ridiculously comfortable curve at his neck that seemed to have been made specifically for her.

"I thought we decided you didn't like me anymore." Looking up she caught Jaime staring down, for the first time ever looking unsure.

"Sometimes", Brienne corrected. "Only sometimes."

His arm fell around her waist, holding her tightly against his side though it didn't feel overly inappropriate. Jaime just doing a friend a favour, even if there was no way they were just friends anymore.

"I'm sorry", she told him before the drowsiness became too much of a pull, "I can move if you want."

He shrugged and she felt muscles move under her head. "Other than you trying to sleep through a classic film do you hear me complaining?"

Brienne lifted her head up, kissing him just once, nothing but her lips against his cheek and he looked more stunned than desirous when she pulled away.

"You're ... completely ... messed up", she whispered mainly to herself as everything fell into place in her head.

"Says the girl who just kissed me, despite learning I'm an incestuous jerk."

"Mmmmm, I didn't say ... I'm ... not ... a ... little ... messed up ... too." The sleep in her veins loosening her inhibitions to let her voice a couple of things she normally wouldn't. "Thank you for everything today. For ... not forcing my choice."

"If or when?" Jaime asked softly, not pushing just sounding curious to find out how far she'd ran away, still confusing her sleep addled mind even with the simple question.

"When. I ... think I need time ... to process about ... her"

She felt him nod, the hand around her splaying slightly, "Goodnight Brienne."

"Goodnight Jaime."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who doesn't know Casablanca is a story about a man torn between '"love and virtue."
> 
> Thank you to everyone who is still reading this ridiculous slow build of a story


	56. Fifty Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another day, another chapter :)
> 
> This should have been up early, since it was basically done yesterday, but I've been a little sick today and couldn't find the energy to proof read until now.

Brienne woke to the sound of rain lashing against the windows, the storm Tyrion had mentioned earlier finally seeing fit to release it's building tension over Kingsland. The room around her was fully dark now and she had no idea how long she'd slept, how long Jaime had seen fit to stay and hold her before growing bored enough  to retire into one of the massive beds.

Although before doing so he had been considerate enough to slide a pillow under her head and throw a couple of blankets over the sofa so she wouldn't freeze if the temperature dropped in the night. The makeshift bed doing an excellent job at silently asking if Brienne was absolutely sure she wanted to open her eyes and move. 

She tried to push away the sleep that was still clinging to her as a flash of lightning illuminated the room in a glorious second of technicolor, allowing her an almost voyeuristic glance at her ridiculously handsome roommate.

Jaime managed to look younger asleep, almost carefree apart from the creases appearing along his forehead like he was having trouble concentrating on whatever was playing out in his head, the moment of brightness hitting every inch of exposed skin along his chest and arm to bathe him in a hazy glow. 

Brienne pulled the double layer of blankets around her a little tighter, not feeling anywhere near cold just waiting for the rumble of thunder that was coming. She would never in a million years admit that at home on nights like this she would pull out the heaviest metal in her extensive collection and use it to block out the weather. Anything to prevent being reminded of a similar night fifteen years ago when her world had changed in an instance.    

Jaime let out a groan at the sudden noise overhead, providing her with a wanted distraction, the bed protesting as he rolled and Brienne automatically reached for the nearest lamp before he woke completely. He let out another growl as her eyes slowly adjusted, though there was little indication of full conscious as yet.

"Brienne", he murmured and she quickly apologised for the disruption, picking up everything around her and making the choice to try and spend the rest of the night in a proper bed. She thought if she was lucky the storm would pass over quickly, meaning she wouldn't be too tired to spend the afternoon working on the Tyrell account.

Her name slipped out of Jaime's mouth again as she crept past, though there was no easy smile or flash of green when she whispered his back and it was only when she took another long look that Brienne realised he was still dreaming.

Of her. 

Dreaming of her. And judging by the increasingly breathy exhalations of her name his dream was becoming highly enjoyable.

Blushing furiously, Brienne tried to make as much noise as possible she carried herself slowly across the slight distance still separating them. Her hand firmly pressed into Jaime's shoulder, trying not to notice how his muscles rolled under her palm as he rocked a little into the touch, and she attempted to wake him quickly before anything more embarrassing could occur.

"Jaime", she snapped, raising her voice a little for emphasis.

His eyelids rose, a sliver of dark green visible before he smiled slowly, lifting the corner of his quilt in a clear indication she should join him under it.

"Jaime!" She all but yelled, moving off the bed and back towards her own, the older man still half asleep and clearly very nearly naked.

His eyes remained hooded but he was back with her a second later. "Where's the fire?" he asked, dropping the covers to rub at his eyes.

"You were ... dreaming ... mumbling in your sleep", Brienne didn't feel confident enough to mention what exactly he had been dreaming about.

"I should have warned you about that", he joked, pulling himself up in the bed to give her a heart stopping view of his chest before she tore her eyes away.

Refusing to look directly at him, Brienne's voice didn't raise above a whisper, "Could you put some clothes on please."

He sighed audibly, somehow both frustrated and amused by her reaction. "You've just woken me up, rather rudely in the middle of the night I might add, you could at least give me a minute."

"Please?"

"Well I wouldn't want to upset your delicate sensibilities", Jaime snarked as he carried out her request, the lightning returning the second he stepped out of the bed.

Brienne's eyes ran down his back, over his butt and down his legs. Her face burned with shame in doing so, but Jaime appeared to have no problem in walking around the room barely clothed. She shivered into her bed a little more, knees to her chest, blankets pulled up to her nose.

She didn't mean to let out a breath as he turned but the tiny sound caught his ears and Jaime's smile, "If I'm not mistaken you're checking me out again."

Brienne closed her eyes, a beautifully sculpted afterimage branded in her head only until the rumbling shook the world again and she jumped.

"I know you're scared of thunder."

Inwardly cursing her body's multiple involuntary reactions, Brienne met his conceited words with a challenge. "What makes you say that?"

"When we had that string of storms last month you looked half dead for days. You couldn't even find enough energy to blush when I ..." he raised an eyebrow as means of ending his thought.

"I'm not scared, I just don't like it."

"No judgement", Jaime muttered defensively as he climbed back into his bed fully clothed.

She sighed, he'd given so much tonight maybe it was time to give a little back. "My mom died on a night like this."

Jaime's face twisted in surprise but he didn't pass comment, merely picking up a corner of the quilt again. "Get in Brienne."

She glared before he continued, "I know you're more than capable of kneeing me in the balls should I overstep your idea of propriety though maybe this way I might actually get some sleep without having to listen to you stomping around like an elephant."

The next flash and rumble were almost on top of each other and he watched her watching him angrily until Brienne's boldness crumbled. 

They spoke at the same time as she made herself comfortable beside him, Jaime staying a gentlemanly distance away from her for now.

"We should tell Catelyn ... about your father, about Mockingbird."

"I think we should stop sneaking around."

"What?"

"What?"

Brienne took a deep breath, trying not to be affected by the fact that despite everything she was still sharing a bed with Jaime Lannister. "Catelyn needs to know the truth."

"Fine", he growled, "Tomorrow. Now ..."

"Now what?"

He shuffled towards her, gracefully even in the constricted space, "Do you want to go out with me?"

Jaime's eyes glinted, his head coming so close that she could almost taste his breath. His sister broke his heart, a more rational part of her brain reminded her as he impatiently lay in wait.

"Fine", she sighed, "Why not."

His lips moved to hover over her ear, "You'd be my girlfriend."

"Aren't you ... a little old ... to be using that term?" Her father had dated many women over the years since her mother had died and not one of them had been covered by that word.

"Partner", he tested, "Lover."

Brienne pushed him away, "One step at a time Lannister."

He laughed as she rolled from him, but  didn't protest when Jaime softly pressed his chest into her back. "You're not getting away from this discussion that easily."

"Girl ... friend?"

"Does it really sound that bad?"

Brienne turned, surprising him a little as she caught his eye, "And we tell Catelyn tomorrow?"

He grunted in agreement, his hair falling forward and brushing along her forehead, "Right after you let me buy you breakfast."

Brienne hoped this all wasn't going to come back and bite her at some point in the future as she closed her eyes and nodded.


	57. Fifty Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Margaery's gift does come in a little useful after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This became just fluffy kissing in the re-draft, so I apologise and promise there will definitely be a lot more plot in the next chapter.

By the way the light was attempting to creep into the room Jaime guessed they should at least start to consider heading home, but the warm sleeping girl in his bed was making it difficult to follow through on that kind of coherent thought.

Jaime had expected that after the storm Brienne would have rolled away or even moved back to sleep on her own again, so it was a pleasant surprise to find her still curled against him. At some point in the last few hours he'd actually ended up with a blonde head resting on his chest, a hand clutching so tightly in his shirt that Jaime thought if he did attempt to move she would end up with more material then he would. Not that Brienne was the only one to lay some kind of unconscious claim though, his hands were splayed possesively across her back and a leg had hooked around her calves as if to hold her in position.

Although certain parts of his body were beginning to question if this arrangement wasn't as good as the idea of having her partially clothed and speechless, Jaime recognised it was different and he wondered if different could actually be better. He couldn't remember a time when Cersei would have let him stay just to sleep and as  wrong as it was to be thinking of his sister in that moment he literally had nothing else to compare it to.

Brienne twitched, a tiny movement of half consciousness and he stayed perfectly still until her nose buried into neck, warm breath blowing across his skin. Jaime barely had to angle his head to brush his lips to her temple, her cheekbone before she woke with a start.

There was a look of confusion, of fear as she pulled away before recognition set in and Brienne grimaced, "What time is it?"

"And good morning to you to. I thought you might be a little more pleasant considering where you've just spent the last few hours."

Her eyes went wide, blue somehow overtaking everything else even in the low light as she slowly asked, "Did we ... do something that ... I can't remember?"

Brienne flinched as his fingers stroked along the back of her hand, one of the few places her skin was exposed, and it took all of Jaime's patience to wait until the awkward nerves disappeared and the trust came back. "We slept, though you were hanging on like you didn't ever want to let go."

He smirked and she pulled herself up, to shove him further away Jaime guessed, but somewhere in the middle of the movement they were kissing and it was languid and perfect and almost like being caught in a dream. Brienne may have been slow with words at times, but with a little practice her tongue was becoming remarkably accomplished at battling his when the only sounds that mattered were heavy inhales and soft groans.

So it was almost a shame when Jaime's thoughts reminded him of the joys of morning sex, especially after Brienne had haltingly agreed to something a little more official than random make out sessions only hours earlier and he'd assumed that meant they were going to take things slow.

Though it sure as hell didn't feel slow when she was encouraging him to unzip her sweatshirt, her trembling fingers busy unbuttoning before ghosting over lines of muscle across his chest and back. 

His lips fell to her neck, the collar of her t-shirt sitting just below her collarbone to allow him access. As far as he was aware Brienne had never giggled before, even the idea of it much too feminine for her general demeanour, but apparently having him taste the freckles at the hollow of her throat like she was an ice cream cone was producing a half purr, half laugh that was starting to sound very similar.

She murmured his name as he gently nipped back up her neck, Jaime suddenly torn between the idea of marking her skin and the knowledge of how much trouble he'd be in if he actually did but Brienne was saying his name again and he had to muffle it before a significant quantity of blood could decide to change direction.

Her fingers were combing through his hair, like she was trying to hold on to something real, as he ran his hands slowly over her ribs down to the hem of her shirt. Jaime felt her eyes pop open as he tugged, cocking his head until she nodded hers and Brienne's arms left their resting place on his shoulders to obediently raise above her head.

He got several long seconds to gaze at toned stomach muscles and the merest glimpse of what was under a black patterned bra before someone was knocking on the door. 

Jaime ignored it as Brienne jumped and though he attempted to calm her the spell was breaking and by the second knock it had shattered and she was covering herself up again, looking slightly worried that he hadn't done anything but stare.

Cursing bad luck or bad timing he made his way to open the door, letting the maid take a long look at his shirtless dishevelled state and she apologised with a smile. Jaime not feeling much like smiling back slammed the door without a word.

Brienne was out of the bed by the time he turned around, but he found comfort in the fact she was as close as he had ever seen to grinning at him. 

"That was ... nice", she offered, a mix of contentment and unsureness shining out of her stunning eyes.

"Well if you want I'm pretty sure we can take it past nice if you give me fifteen minutes", Jaime's responding look was nowhere near as innocent.

Brienne shook her head, pointing at the light now streaming through the slight gaps in the curtains. "I think we should get going", she bit down at her lip and if he didn't know better he would have said she was trying for coy, as it was she simply looked nervous. "Maybe later in the week? I'm going with my dad to the hospital on Thursday .... but his appointment's not until ten-thirty."

He should have said thank you, Thursday's great, I'll be there early but because Jaime had been feeling like he was getting close to something highly embarrassing he couldn't be that gracious.

"It's not as good if you treat it like something that needs to be scheduled."

Brienne's skin flamed to life, avoiding his gaze as she searched for the discarded sweatshirt to cover herself up even though there wasn't a scrap of inappropriate flesh on show anymore, "No! ... I just ... I didn't mean ... We don't .... If you don't want ..."

Jaime tried to quieten her rambling by raising a hand and she shot daggers back at him, "I can't very well show up to be ravished when you still haven't trusted me with where you live."

"Oh", she looked at him before her gaze quickly darted around the room, "I thought .... maybe after ... you saw ... you might not want ... anymore."

"God damn it woman", he growled, stalking angrily across the room to pull her back into his arms. Brienne didn't put up much of a struggle as he bruised her lips in his haste, probably mostly out of shock he thought briefly before his hands slipped under her shirt. Her squeak of appreciation was unexpected and Jaime kissed her once more before leaving it there for now.

"I think we need to find some breakfast", Brienne told him, trying to both catch her breath and bring them back to normality.

"Shower first", he demanded and with a growing blush she nodded as realisation slowly dawned.

Jaime made sure his shower didn't get above ice cold.


	58. Fifty Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't know how I'm writing this so quickly, I can only hope the quality is not bouncing around all over the place.
> 
> Thanks again to everyone reading, commenting and leaving kudos. Every one of you is keeping my prolific writing streak going :)

"You know if the departure time is half ten, it doesn't mean you have to be there twenty minutes early", Jaime called to her in the bathroom as Brienne double checked that she had packed everything away. Sansa in her excitement had managed to sweep basically every single cosmetic product Brienne owned into the overnight bag and although she might not use all of them regularly there may, however small the possibility, come a day when she actually needed something like lip balm.

"It's better than showing up as it's about to leave", Brienne muttered back, finding it easier to deal with him if she didn't actually have to look at him.

"Says who?"

Finally happy that she had everything she came with Brienne meant to tell him it was time to go but instead became momentarily caught up in the image of Jaime watching the sports news, feet on the furniture, eating whatever remained of the room service breakfast she'd ordered during the time he took having the longest shower in the history of the world.

"You're stalling because you want to stay", he told her, eyes still on the screen. "There is more one train leaving Kingsland today, all you've got to do is say the word."

"I want ..." he turned and offered her a lop sided grin, "I think I want to go home."

Jaime's smile flickered but didn't disappear completely as he hopped athletically over the sofa and followed her out of the room, silently falling in step with her as they wandered along the corridor.

Brienne looked down to find her fingers  neatly interlocked with his, a surprising warmth beginning to run through her from where they were touching.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, pulling her hand away before anyone could see them.

"Me? You were the one who started it", Jaime argued back in hushed tones as they reached the elevator, "You can't keep your hands off me."

"I think I can control myself in public", she stressed firmly.

"You weren't this vocal when I kissed you in public yesterday", his voice was full of amusement, "I think the only word you could say was ... Jaime."

"Shut up."

"Make me", Jaime took a step closer challenging her to do something, anything to stop him from talking.

It was lucky that the elevator arrived when it did because she was becoming severely tempted by the idea of shoving her tongue into his mouth to see how well he could mess with her then. He met her eye as she pressed the button for the lobby and laughed all the way down to street level, Brienne realising she was about twenty seconds away from giving him exactly what he wanted. She rolled her eyes and Jaime laughed harder, her blood pressure coming back to normal as she wondered how exactly he was making her feel so much of everything all in one go.

They continued in the same manner all the way to the station, Tyrion sending his car with a note inferring they'd both probably be too tired to walk, and there was an almost moment when they got stuck in traffic and she'd unconsciously reached out to push Jaime's hair behind his ear.

It was forgotten just as quickly as it came about, but not before he had kissed her fingers as they brushed past his mouth.

Their train back was eerily empty and they ended up with a carriage to themselves for most of the journey, Jaime choosing to sit opposite her and his intermittent glances were proving to be far more of an uncomfortable distraction than any one of his touches would have been. Hours stretched out in front of them, leaving truths and kisses behind, and Brienne finally sent off a guilty email to Catelyn lying about how she had to wait in for an electrician and would be working from home today.

"You can't even call in sick properly", Jaime complained as he caught sight of her face and spun the laptop around. "Dear Catelyn", he mimed typing, "I'm a horny wench ..."

Brienne grabbed the computer back before he could do any damage, "You're the one ... who told me ... to lie"

"And you actually exceeded my expectations about how bad you would be."

She didn't get a chance to answer that one, the new item in her inbox giving her pause. "Catelyn wants to see me in her office tomorrow. No wait", Brienne scanned the message again, "She wants to see both of us."

"Well at least you can take her the Mockingbird report before she throws me out for leading her top employee astray."

"So we're ..."

"Going to tell her the truth. You really can't lie and I'm pretty sure Tully's have been bred to see through Lannister bullshit. Plus my father's inevitable press conference will provide any additional proof that we need."

"She can't see us until four ... so ... rain check on breakfast?"

"Thursday", Jaime smiled, making Brienne wish that she could be a little more spontaneous but she ended up letting him drop her off at her apartment anyway, even listening to his snarky comments about how terribly unsuited she was for the red brick building and her unusual choice of temporary roommates.

"Four o clock", Brienne reminded as she attempted to exit the car, getting caught up in a tangle of limbs on the way that landed her squarely in Jaime's lap.

"I'll be there", he promised, cradling her ruined cheek for a moment before meeting her half way for a knee weakening goodbye kiss. The corresponding heat rising off Brienne's skin not only because she thought there was a possibility Sansa might be able to see into the car from any one of the apartment's windows.

"Don't work too hard", Jaime requested as she slightly reluctantly removed her hands and he gently pushed her out of the car.

"Tyrells, Greyjoys and Reeds."

"Lions, tigers and bears", he joked, "Have fun."

 

As she expected Sansa was standing by the front door as Brienne entered, offering her friend a high five before bouncing around like a puppy playing twenty questions.

"Nothing happened", she told her, reiterating the fact several times before the teenager sat down on the sofa with a pout.

"What do you mean nothing happened? You stayed overnight, do not tell me that you insisted on separate beds when that kiss alone just showed how much you want to rip his clothes off."

"We slept, we made out, we came home", Brienne summarised, knowing that her face was nearing scarlet red.

Sansa rolled her eyes, "I really don't know what to do with you."

"Though ... he is coming by the apartment on Thursday, can you ...?"

"Make myself scarce? Anything in the name of love", she smiled, "I'll see if Jon won't mind me crashing for one night."

"When are you actually going home?" Brienne asked, not really minding having a roommate but thinking it might get in the way if the Jaime thing was going to be repeated.

"About that", Sansa looked away, nervous and embarrassed all in one, "I'm going back to The Vale to take my finals so it'll be a week at the most. I'm  so sorry, I really don't mean to intrude."

"You're not ... I actually like having you around"

"Just not when Jaime's around", the teenager giggled before setting off on another round of questions, though she did finish it with one that cemented her friendship status for Brienne. "You know you can call me anytime if anything crappy happens right?"

Brienne had never been much of a hugger but the sheer earnestness coming off Sansa made her reach over despite her better judgement, "Thank you."

"And I'm sure my boyfriend could take your boyfriend in a fight."

"He's not ..." Brienne began automatically, a small spike of warmth from her stomach reaching up to flow along her veins, bubbling with so much promise as the reality of her actions  hit. "Oh god he really is. I'm dating Jaime Lannister. How did that happen?"

Sansa only smiled back knowingly.


	59. Fifty Nine

Brienne stifled a yawn as she waited for her unscheduled conference call with Howland Reed to come to a natural stopping point. She'd been glancing at the clock every few minutes and the closer it got to four, the more the nerves in her stomach felt like they were dancing a waltz or something equally as churning.

She hadn't been able to sleep much the night before, every time her eyes closed it was like opening onto a private play where Jaime was the only star. His presence allowing all their almost moments to become one big awkward confusion in her head. So Brienne had ended up watching late night television with Sansa, the younger girl preferring to run on sugar and air rather than anyway near a sensible amount of sleep, listening to a ridiculous amount of gossip about people she had no interest in. 

Other than Cersei Baratheon that was.

Sansa had called out Jaime's sister as an evil vindictive witch long before the credits started rolling on the rerun being shown, but Brienne was more fixated on the unnerving combination of beauty and bitterness.

When exhaustion did overpower her sometime after Sansa had started talking about real people, her new boyfriend was apparently someone her family would not approve of and Brienne thought maybe she could have sympathised had the idea of taking Jaime home to meet her father even crossed her mind for a second, as it was her dreams became even more restless than before.

She thought that it probably wasn't out of the ordinary to be dreaming of a very affectionate Jaime in her bed, but not when being instructed on what to do by his sister dressed in her sitcom medieval gown. When Brienne woke up for work it was with a pounding headache and feeling even more tired than when she went to sleep.

She had tried to forget it, let it fade like so many dreams once the light of day hit, but that was easier said than done. Jaime, clothed or otherwise, it seemed had taken up permanent residence in her head.

Brienne was triple checking circulation numbers when he casually wandered into her office, surprising her by actually being ten minutes early, instantly making her wonder if there was anything she was expected to do now they were calling themselves a couple. Was she supposed to show some kind of physical affection as part of a greeting or were they just to simply carry on the way they usually did with a wave and a probing joke?

Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how Brienne looked at it, Jaime was quicker to the blunt first word as usual. 

"You look like hell."

"I'm tired", she snapped, finding that she was reading the same sentence for the sixth time since he arrived looking better than he ever should be allowed to.

"That's what happens when you decide to use a human being as a comfort blanket." 

Brienne couldn't see his face but she could feel his eyes burning a twinkly hole in the back of her head.

"The only comfort you ..." She attempted a grumbling comeback but Jaime had a hand on her back, warm between her shoulder blades, before Brienne could finalise her thought.

"You were saying?"

He rubbed the heel of his hand into a particularly tense spot and there was a brief but distinct involuntary arching into the touch. 

"Catelyn", she whispered and Jaime clapped his hand down, undoing his seconds of gentleness.

"You've have no idea what this is about?" He asked as Brienne grabbed the Mockingbird file from bottom of her in tray, Jaime stealing it from her grasp as they left the room and she was far too tired to indulge him in wrestling for it back. Jaime almost looked put out as he handed it over a minute later.

"Watch your mouth", Brienne whispered the warning as they reached Catelyn's office, "I don't ... I think ... she's not ...."

She wanted to say that she didn't want to see him thrown out but the words got stuck somewhere between her head and her throat. He raised an eyebrow in confused intrigue and Brienne looked away, feeling like she couldn't deal with that kind of declaration on top of everything else.

"Brienne, Mr Lannister", Catelyn called,  and the pair exchanged a final heated glance before heading in to see the boss.

"A very strange thing came to my attention yesterday", Catelyn regarded both of her employees carefully as they sat down and Brienne prayed that her face was staying neutral and not heading towards looking like she'd just been caught doing something wrong. "It appears that your skills are gaining some attention outside of our regular client base."

Brienne chanced a look at Jaime who shrugged in answer, neither of them knowing exactly where Catelyn was going though it wasn't sounding like they were going to get reprimanded for their occasional hormonal teenager moments.

"An old acquaintance called and enquired about our services. Though it wasn't actually our services he was asking about, it was yours." She fixed her probing blue eyes on Brienne and the younger woman suddenly found Jaime's hand in hers.

"My services?" Brienne echoed, feeling throughly confused as she didn't really think she had that much to offer.

"Not just yours, but Mr Lannister's as well", Jaime's grip tightened as Catelyn shuffled her papers, "Now can either of you tell me why Petyr Baelish is requesting that I offer you two a three month secondment in The Vale after New Year?"

Brienne swallowed hard, all reasonable explanations disappearing to leave her mind a blank.

Jaime squeezed her hand one final time before setting his arms on the table like he was about to bluff their way out of the corner Catelyn had backed them into. "I may have bragged a little to my brother Mrs Stark", Brienne searched his face quickly and found she couldn't detect any trace of a lie. "Tyrion is currently working with some of the best political minds in the country, and when he drinks he can let his mouth run away with him. I'm afraid he might have let slip some of our recent successes."

Catelyn fixed him in a death glare but Jaime sent back one of his best placating smiles, Brienne holding her breath until her boss met it with a terse grimace.

"I would appreciate it if in future you kept business matters inside the business Mr Lannister."

Jaime nodded and even managed to look suitably chastised until Catelyn spun around to pull out a file, sending Brienne an over zealous wink. 

"I must stress that this is your choice, although if for some reason you were called back to Casterly, Mr Lannister, Brienne has been offered the chance to take up the opportunity as an individual", Catelyn sounded as if she was reading off a script through clenched teeth. 

"Let me warn you that Petyr Baelish is not a man to be trusted lightly and I have no doubt that he has an ulterior motive behind this request but", she paused and Brienne heard the resignation slipping into her tone, "He is soon to become family and Stark Industries has always been a family business."

Catelyn glanced at Brienne with a slight smile, an almost maternal look, and the younger woman found herself smiling back ever so gently at the acceptance. 

"I think we need to talk about this", Jaime interjected, slowing his speech patterns down as if Brienne would be too slow to read between the lines at a normal speed. "As a team."

He continued to stare long after he finished talking, Brienne shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

Catelyn didn't notice, or if she did the older woman was much better at hiding it. "Of course. I think I can safely let you have until the start of the Christmas vacation to make your decision."

Something important clicked in Brienne's head, "Isn't Sansa studying in The Vale?"

At the terrifying look that produced, she hastily explained herself, "We're friends."

"I didn't know that", Catelyn softened ever so slightly, "Sansa could definitely use a friend like you. I do worry about her being so far away. Now did you have something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I think it can wait for another time", Jaime spoke up, less than discreetly fighting Brienne for the Mockingbird folder under the table. "We've taken up enough of your time today."

Catelyn nodded absently, angrily distracted by whatever Baelish reminded her of.

"Walk me out", Jaime demanded as they left the office and were out of earshot.

"Do you want ... ?"

"Later", he growled and Brienne had to follow him all the way to the bank of elevators before he said anything of importance.

"This is a fucking trap", he whispered, "I'm not sure who's behind it but it is. As if I'm going to let you ..."

"Let me?" Brienne took a step away from him, "You don't ... I'm not ... Let me?"

He tried to close the distance that had opened up between them but she caught hold of his arm before it could reach around her back, "I didn't mean any disrespect Brienne", he took a breath and she saw him fighting with something, "I don't want you to go. Without me."

"Going on my own ... never even crossed my mind."

He smiled, slow and satisfied like she'd just answered more than one question. "Do you really want to go and work for Baelish?"

"It would be ... complicated."

"The family will still have to be consulted but" he paused and a rush of amusement flooded back, "It will be cold with all that mountain air."

Brienne blushed as her mind went to a baser place, "If you're bothered about that ... you could always .... share my bed."

"I'm not", he grinned, "I just wanted to see if I could get you to say ... Ow!"

She tapped him on his shoulder, "You're playing with me ... again."

"Isn't that what we decided Thursday was for?"

Brienne felt her face burn as she was reminded once again of her proposition. "So ... can I call you tomorrow?"

"You haven't walked me out yet."

The elevator doors opened and Jaime pulled her in after him, "Don't worry, the Stark's have always been far too trusting to actually install security cameras."

Thirty seconds later when the doors reopened Brienne was red faced and fighting for breath, her lips swollen and tingling from a dozen leading kisses.

"I'll see you Thursday", Jaime grinned at how visibly unravelled she was, pushing the button for her floor as he left.

Brienne rested her forehead on the cool wall thinking she might not last that long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I might have even got some actual plot in there for once!


	60. Sixty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter was a complete nightmare to write, but I've persevered and think I've finally got it to a place where it seems right to be able to build on.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's stuck with this tortuous slow build. It's been amazing to see all the support in comments and kudos!

Brienne had left the message almost an hour ago, fifteen minutes after Sansa skipped out of the apartment telling her that if she really thought she wouldn't be able to sleep later not to let embarrassment stop her making the call.

If she'd had a better understanding of wordplay then she might have been able to craft something a little more sophisticated then just asking quietly if he wanted to come over. To talk, she added as even the silence of his voicemail seemed to want to mock her forwardness.

She hadn't heard from Jaime since the elevator incident the day before, which she'd loved almost as much as she had hated, and it felt unusual not to have him verbally or electronically prod at her during the day. Admittedly she may have checked her phone a few too many times during the afternoon but other than that Brienne had actually managed to get through her entire to-do list without any distractions, which only happened about once every couple of weeks. 

Baelish's unusual offer was still hanging over her and though he was a weasel and everything else that went along with it she was starting to think that maybe a change of scenery would be good for her. Good for them all. She'd not have to compromise her friendships with Sansa or Jaime and would only have one account to focus on instead of twenty. There was even a whisper that seemed to suggest it might let her grow up a little bit more. Brienne didn't know how she would break it to her dad since he was just getting used to having her around again, but Jaime would definitely be harder to convince.

She had spent most of the evening trying to come up with a way to persuade a man who had forgotten more about charm then she would ever know, her distraction pushing Sansa to leave earlier than they had agreed. 

The apartment felt cavernous and quiet without the teenager and Brienne resorted to tidying up after them both,  on a whim putting her best sheets on the bed before she had really decided that if Jaime ever showed up he was welcome to spend the night.

She was just about to give up and text Sansa when the intercom buzzed, a knot of nervous anticipation setting up home in the pit of her stomach to betray the earlier hint of confidence that had gone unwitnessed.

"Brienne", Jaime's voice almost echoed around her living space and the fact that she'd never had an unrelated man in her apartment shocked her into momentary silence. "Can I come up?"

She assumed Jaime was just flirting with her again, purring into the machine, but by the time she saw him climbing up the stairs she guessed he had been drinking at some point in the last couple of hours.

"Hello wench", Jaime grinned as he opened his arms, wanting her closer but Brienne rolled her eyes and stepped out of his way as she caught the slight whiff of alcohol coming off him.

"You're drunk", she confirmed as he slid past, her body reacting even if her mind was currently closer to worried than desirous.

"I'm not. I had ..." Jaime paused to count, but lost the number somewhere in the thought, "A couple of drinks."

Having less experience with this type of situation than she did with kissing, Brienne racked her brain for someone who would be able to help. The answer took her longer to come to than it should have done. "Where's your phone?"

"I lost it. Or left it somewhere", he smiled, all green eyes and boyish charm, Brienne realising that although he probably hadn't received her voicemail he'd still come to see her anyway. "But I'm here now so there's no need to call anyone else. I don't plan on ever sharing you."

His lips grazed the side of her face as she slipped a hand into his very expensive jacket and she felt Jaime's smile grow a little wider as she inadvertently brushed against his torso. It took her three pockets until she found it, each time with him wanting to prolong the body contact, but she ignored it to quickly delete her own garbled message before calling Tyrion.

"As I told you earlier dear brother, get out of your head and into that girl's ..."

"Hi", she cut in before Tyrion could explain what exactly his brother had to get into.

Tyrion cleared his throat, "Brienne. What can I do for you?"

"Do you know what happened today? Jaime's just shown up ... kind of drunk ... I don't know ... what am I supposed do?"

"My brother doesn't usually drink heavily unless it's something family related but don't worry yourself", Tyrion drawled, "He's also been know to be a bit of a lightweight. Send him home and he'll be fine in the morning."

She made a noise of disapproval into the receiver, only partly at the way Jaime had draped himself across her sofa like he belonged there.

"Unless you want him to stay."

"I don't think ... is it right ... to let him go home like this?" Brienne's voice was only a little over a whisper.

"Probably not", Tyrion laughed, "Coffee. Water. Aspirin. Watch out though, he may want to take your head off in the morning."

She might have to reschedule what they'd originally planned but she didn't think either man should know that. "Thanks."

"Brienne, he wouldn't have shown up if he didn't trust you implicitly. He really ...."

"I ... think I understand. Sorry about disturbing you."

She almost heard the eye roll that accompanied Tyrion's sigh. "You don't but you'll get there. Eventually."

"I can hear you two whispering about me. I'm fine brother, Brienne doesn't need to hear you tell tales", Jaime called out, clearly very happy with his current predicament.

As she hung up the phone he beckoned her over to join him and she thought it might be an interesting few hours until he arrived back to his normal self. 

"Brienne", Jaime made her name about four syllables long, "Come on, you're the one that offered me space in your bed and now you won't even join me."

"What happened today?" She blurted out before he could say anything he would forget or regret.

"Humour me and I'll tell you." He indicated the place beside him and she sat down on the floor, making him laugh in the process.

"I'm sitting. Tyrion said that ... it might be something to do with your family ... Was it ... her?"

Jaime shook his head, "She would have been easier to deal with. Apparently I shouldn't concern myself with the opinions of sheep any longer."

It had been a while since she'd heard him refer to anyone as a farm animal.  
"Wasn't I ... a cow?"

"You're becoming a little self obsessed there Brienne, you should watch that before it becomes a problem."

She crossed her arms, "But ... you ..."

He smirked, "It fit at the time, big, slow, pretty eyes. Though cows I think are supposed to be docile."

If Jaime wanted a reaction from that, she didn't let herself show one. "But?"

"I've been summoned home, back to headquarters now the Stark empire is wobbling."

Brienne's head jerked up defensively, "It's not wobbling. Catelyn wouldn't let it wobble."

Jaime shrugged, "Not everyone sees the world the way you do. According to my father I need to become the man I'm meant to be."

"And who's that?"

"A Lannister."

She pulled a face at the way he spat that out, "It shouldn't matter, you're a good ..."

"Don't lie for me again, it's not worth compromising your morals."

"... Decent man", Brienne finished, coming to a truth she hoped he would listen to.

"Maybe sometimes."

She took a breath, thinking that now was as good as any to float an idea, if she messed up she probably would have a second first attempt later. "We could go to The Vale if ... you thought ... a few months away ... from your family would help."

"You, me and Sansa Stark", he snarked, looking down his nose at her, "That sounds like a lot of fun. Would your family be as overjoyed as mine?"

"It's just my dad. He'd prefer me to be .... outgoing", Giving him grandchildren before he gets too old to enjoy them she thought, "But I guess ... he just wants me to be happy ... at least for now."

Jaime shook his head and she wasn't sure if he was trying not to laugh at her, "Amazing."

Brienne had no clue what that meant. "Will you remember any of this tomorrow?"

"Do you want me to write it all down?" He paused, taking in her half smile, "You know just so you've got confirmation that I'm running away with you."

"I didn't ..."

"That's what you asked. Come with me to The Vale, share my bed, screw me senseless ...."

"I. Did. Not. Say. That."

"But it's written all over your face", he told her and Brienne's hands flew up to cover her cheeks, her heartbeat drumming in her ears.

"It's not ... running away if ... people know where you are."

That time Jaime's smile was far too self satisfied for her to continue to believe he didn't have complete control over what he was saying.

"And to think ...." Brienne pushed herself to her feet, "I'm ... I'll be just down the hall if you need anything. The kitchen's in the back and the bathroom is second on the right."

"Give me a little while and I'm sure I can find a couple of things I need."

A shiver ran down her spine, burying under her skin, "How much ... did you really have to drink?"

"Less than I want to admit to."

"It ... only hurts ... because you love them", Jaime looked at her as if he hadn't been expecting her to say something so perceptive, "Three months isn't going to be long enough is it?"

"It's a start."

Brienne almost asked for what but she caught his eye and the glimmer there gave her all the answers she needed. If they ever got to The Vale it was going to be the start of a lot more than just hiding from what their father's expected them to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a holiday weekend here, so the next chapter should be done pretty quick. And from what I've got so far the rating on this is definitely going to have to go up!


	61. Sixty One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So even after sixty chapters this is the one I'm most nervous about! Mainly because of what doesn't quite happen here.
> 
> Huge thanks to RoseHeart who, as usual, knows just what to say to ease away my doubts! Thank you!!!!!

After a while it dawned on Brienne that it was possibly worse having Jaime in the apartment and not being able to have him next to her, the tense anticipation in her room seemed to be physically bubbling in her blood. She fought herself, the rationality in her head that spoke of his current state of mind winning out over the embarrassing level of everything else that was building up. So she read, she worked out her schedule for the next few days including the training runs she had at the weekend and eventually fell into a fitful sleep while trying not to pay attention to the man currently dozing on her sofa. 

Needless to say it didn't work for very long, there were too many whispers in her head offering her best and worse case scenarios and finally when she got sick of simply being awake Brienne found a sliver of courage which pushed her out of bed and towards Jaime.

She honestly thought she would be content to just sit with him, as long as he stopped being a taunting presence in her dreams. Brienne guessed she must have worked out about twenty ways it could all go wrong in the space of several hours and now she wanted to hear him say something that wasn't fuck or wench.

Her bedroom door opened before she even had a chance to get a hand on it, and she took a hasty step back to prevent it smacking her in the face. Jaime stood on the other side, damp haired and shirtless, as awake as she was and thankfully a lot more clear eyed than earlier.

"I was just ...", He glanced at the open bathroom door and back to her, his gaze flickering over the washed out t-shirt and grey plaid pyjamas she was wearing.

"Do you want ... ?" 

Brienne offered him her hand, the colour rising to her face hidden for now, and he gratefully took it before either of them could find the words to add to the rising awkwardness.

"I think I'd ...."

"Me too."

He stepped past her, refusing to let go of her hand as if it was some kind of lifeline, Brienne having to stop the surprise rush of insecurities that were accompanying a boy being in her room. She wanted this, had been dreaming of this, though as Jaime had predicted the reality was far and away scarier than the control she'd been able to work with in her head.

He didn't have that trouble, or at least wasn't showing it, taking a long look at her bed before dropping her hand and finding space to lie down on the non rumpled side. A tiny voice asked her if he wasn't supposed to sweep her into his arms and carry her to bed with all the passion they'd been toying with rather than settle down into another place to repeat the annoying habit of looking like he belonged there.

"You're wearing my clothes", she would have laughed at the sight of Jaime in her emerald green lucky horseshoe pyjama pants if she hadn't been working through a couple of stronger emotions.

His eyes were closing but he wasn't anywhere close to sleeping if his smile was anything to go by, "I can take them off but I wasn't sure if you'd appreciate me walking around your home naked."

Brienne gathered all her strength before replying, "I suppose ... I should ... see you ... if we're ... going to ...."

His only response was to raise an eyebrow, eyes still closed though she guessed this was only a new level to his usual teasing.

"Do you ... want ... me ... to go .... first?" She could hardly get the words out but it seemed like Jaime was waiting for her to do or say something to catch up again. Though the surprise she'd offered meant he barely acknowledged the stumbling delivery, her suggestion alone commanding all of his attention. 

"You don't have to do that but", Jaime slid to the edge of her bed before lasciviously raking his gaze over her, Brienne having to look away before he reached her face, "You are wearing more than me."

She met his gaze then, raising not quite trembling hands to her hips and pushing the material away to leave her  covered by her shirt and underwear only. Brienne battled with the urge to pull her shirt down, the material hanging closer to her butt than her knees, before realising that much skin was supposed to be on show.

Jaime reached for her then, impatient that she was still just out of reach, fastening his arms just above her hips to show a strength Brienne hadn't witnessed before. She was sure her feet left the ground for a second before she hit the mattress, stopping her bulk from crushing Jaime only at the last moment.

Expecting him to complain about something she tried to roll them before Jaime could say something cruel, instead feeling his grin against her lips. The kisses that followed made it feel like it had been weeks, months since he'd pinned her to the wall of the elevator, each one a desperate struggle to release as much pent up energy as possible. Brienne assumed they had gotten past the messy awkward stage, mainly due to how easy it had all become over the past few days, but she clumsily bumped noses with him a couple of times when she misjudged the tiny distance and Jaime even bit her tongue at one point in his need to push things forward. It wasn't doing anything to reduce the tension she had felt earlier, everything slowly starting to rise to give off tangible sparks of electricity.

As one of her hands found her favourite resting place at the nape of his neck, occupying her fingers by combing through handfuls of golden mane, Jaime's were exploring uncharted territory. He made sure he got a good grope of her butt and thigh muscles, pulling her closer to his growing arousal in the process, before running his hands up her back. Her shirt rode up in the wake of the movement until she felt firm warm skin against her stomach and only then did Jaime allow her to take the initiative and roll them over.

His lips left hers not long after Brienne adjusted to being on her back and having him fully pressed against her, Jaime trailing down to find the place that had made her purr in the hotel room.

She stretched a little as the memories of the sensation flooded her senses, Jaime continuing to put his mouth to better uses than calling her names as he kissed and licked and sucked down the column of her neck. There was a spike of white hot heat flooding to her stomach as he almost bit down and the quiet suckling made her groan.

Brienne felt his laugh rather than hearing it.

"What did you ... just do?"

"Nothing", he lied. 

Brienne moved her hand up to the spot he had just vacated, feeling the tell tale signs of a bruise beginning. "Jaime?"

He moved her fingers away to kiss at the pleasure pain, "Think of it as a first to make up for all the years you should have been hiding love bites."

She let out something that was a cross between a resigned sigh and a snort of laughter, "There might be an easier way to let people know ... we're dating."

Jaime pushed himself up on to an elbow as he considered the thought, "But this gives me the added advantage of keeping you embarrassed for days. Even  when I'm not around."

There was too much heat in her skin already for his words to make much difference at that point, "And then you'll give me another."

"Ten points to the gigantic blonde squirming underneath me", his breath was ghosting along her collarbone, head just close enough to her chest for his beard to tickle her skin through the thin material barely still covering her. 

"Take this off", Jaime nibbled at the ragged neckline of her shirt, demanding for a moment before adding a softer "Please."

Brienne moved out from under him, the pressure of Jaime's touches leaving her skin as she attempted to pull it gracefully over her head. The shirt got caught on an elbow and she tugged at it awkwardly before Jaime took a hold and ripped the thing fiercely off her.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, bringing an arm up to cover her fully exposed breasts, "You didn't have to do that."

"Believe me I did", he moved one arm only for her to replace it with the other, "Now let me see you."

"There's ... not ... a lot to see", she told him and Jaime shot her a look that said he already knew that and didn't care.

Brienne closed her eyes, feeling the hand slide up her side getting ever closer and as she let her arm fall away Jaime cupped her breast gently in his palm.

"You should show me what you like when you touch yourself", he murmured between sounds of encouragement in her ear, almost sounding worried though each glancing touch was helping to relax her a little more.

"I ... don't do that", Brienne shivered as his thumb flicked over her nipple and she couldn't do anything but battle her breath for a second or two as Jaime found a spot that made her arch and bite down at her lip.

"Liar."

There was nothing to stop this, Brienne thought, as a palm ran down her body and despite the hammering of her pulse and the familiar ache starting between her thighs it was all now being accompanied by a little frisson of worry. There was a voice that sounded distinctly like her old health teacher playing in her head, Sister Roelle who seemed to enjoy torturing the girls with first time horror stories.

"Jaime? Is this ... really going to hurt?"

He stopped everything and Brienne knew, for that moment at least, she loved him. Jaime moved to brush the hair off her forehead, kissing the space he had made, before lying down beside her.

"I thought you knew how much I like you", Jaime murmured, attempting to calm her stupidly noisy mind that was stopping her from following through. "I'm not going to hurt you on purpose."

"Would you ... hate me if ... I ..."

"What are you doing tonight?"

Brienne shook her head. "Sansa."

"You're doing Sansa?" Jaime laughed in mock astonishment before she pushed him and his ridiculously literal mind across the bed. "I thought I said I didn't like sharing."

She rolled her eyes and as the bedclothes were too far away grabbed one of the pillows to cover her nakedness, hugging it around her breasts and stomach.

"Come to mine. I'll make you dinner or something."

"Why?"

"I still want to find out what makes you scream", he tested his luck by cuddling in behind her but there was something comforting about feeling his skin against hers and Brienne just closed her eyes and listened.

"I want your hands on me. And that all should happen before we go any further", Jaime looked at the clock flashing on the bedside table, "Plus you've only got about two hours hours before your dad turns up and I'm guessing you'll want me long gone before then."

"Might be a good idea", she agreed, really wanting to tell him to stay a little while longer even if it was just for nothing but what they were currently doing.

"I'm betting he won't be too happy to find a man in his daughters bed."

"You never know, he's been wanting me to date for years now."

That was, she thought, how this all started and Brienne found she couldn't be more surprised by how everything was turning out.


	62. Sixty Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to RoseHeart for suggesting this should be a _long _night, here's part one.__

She must have fallen asleep at some point. 

There was a brief moment of panic as Brienne opened her eyes just long enough to check the time before deciding that five, ten more minutes to bask couldn't hurt. Jaime was awake too, the breath against her shoulder wasn't nearly measured enough to let her believe he was sleeping, and she finally let go off her pillow barrier to turn into him.

"So you want to do this now?" he joked half heartedly as she pressed her chest into his and Jaime's hand splayed over her ribcage in response. 

There was an instant pleasant pressure against a ticklish sensitivity under her left breast, and it wasn't long before they were laughing and rolling around half dressed like she hadn't hesitated earlier.

And then it was less about the fight and more about hands and lips again.

It took three missed calls and a persistent ringing of the intercom to pull them both back, causing Jaime to have a good grumble about why it wasn't the weekend already as she pushed him out of her bed.

He did strip for her then, predatory grin meeting her widening averted eyes, before standing proudly naked in her room and asking sweetly if she wanted to help him find his clothes. Her face flamed back to life and Jaime laughed like a maniac as she pulled a blanket over her head.

"You're the one who wanted to look", he reminded with a good deal of snark in his tone as he left, Brienne still intent on hiding.

Though discrete was rapidly disappearing from her vocabulary as she eventually moved to buzz her dad up throughly kissing her boyfriend goodbye as she did, Jaime's hand on the front door keeping it half closed until they were closer to being ready to stop. 

She cringed as her dad nearly bumped into Jaime going down the stairs, noticing too late that she had missed a few buttons as she helped him at the door, although once her dad had expressed concerns over Brienne not being ready yet enquired about when the handsome new neighbour had moved in.

"Very recently", was all she could come up with, raising a hand to cover up the marks Jaime had left on her neck before she had to duck out and away from any more innocuously awkward questions for the meantime.

Sansa was being dropped off just as Brienne was stepping out into the street, greeting her with a hug that would provide a journey's worth of questions and slipping a lipstick sized tube out of her pocket and into her friend's hand as Sansa's eyes did a funny little dance over Brienne's discoloured skin.

At least her dad ended up being more interested in new new friend than in Jaime. Sansa unfortunately couldn't care less about family and wanted details judging by her three word text.

'Vampire! Lunch later?'

Lunch ended up being with two Starks, Sansa having been in contact with her sister and brought her along mainly to keep her from talking to Catelyn. Normally Brienne would have felt like she'd been ambushed but found a natural affinity with Arya and they burnt through four sports over tacos before Sansa pulled the conversation back to boys. Arya wanted pictures, quickly dismissing Jaime as troublingly pretty with a wisdom only a seventeen year old could possess.

Though Brienne still spent her afternoon in a state that could only be described as confidently happy, her meetings going as smoothly as possible, that is until Margaery Tyrell called just before she'd planned to leave making her late and reminding her of the awkward encounter in the hotel all  the way home.

It was Sansa that ended up coming to the rescue, knocking before she came into Brienne's room, concern on her face over all the noises that were carrying down the hall.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to wear", she admitted as Sansa took in the bomb site.

"It really depends on where you're going", the redhead gingerly stepped over a pair of sneakers and sat by her friend on the floor.

Brienne rested her head back on the wall with a sigh. "Jaime's."

"Oh", Sansa smiled, hooking her arm through her friend's, "Do you think you'll be wearing it long?"

Brienne shrugged and Sansa frowned. "He's making me dinner."

"Ok then", her friend sounded like she was rallying up for a mission, "You'll want something comfortable but not too difficult to take off later."

"How?" Brienne asked as Sansa started picking up clothes and throwing them into several piles.

"Cosmo. I wish you had something ... there it is."

Brienne looked down at the pile of blue and cream suddenly in her arms, "Are you sure?"

"Definitely."

So it was ten minutes later that Brienne strode out of her apartment, Sansa attacking her hair and lips on the way in the name of making her look like she was definitely going over to screw her boyfriend, and into a taxi. 

Jaime's building was exactly what she had been expecting. Expensive with a kind of shine that seemed to go hand in  hand with the new high rise buildings that had been popping up all over the city. There was even a doorman but he was so caught up in watching ESPN under the desk that he didn't notice Brienne until she was almost on top of him.

Though before she had a chance to clear her throat or call out a greeting he smiled. "Jaime's expecting you. Penthouse", he pointed behind her but didn't look up from the screen.

"Who's playing?"

"The Lysene Pirates are kicking the asses of the Casterly Lions", he slammed a palm into the desk.

"They've been having a really bad season, ever since ..."

"Dayne got traded", he looked at her then, a little in surprise but mostly in admiration before kindly giving her detailed directions. "You're on the list so I have explicit instructions that you can go straight up even though it's not strictly building policy."

She thought Jaime must quite like flaunting the rules. "Thank you ..."

"Addam", he waved her towards her destination and went back to the screen. 

Of course Jaime lived in the penthouse apartment, Brienne thought as she bounced on her heels in the little box, of course he would pull strings with the doorman, so she wondered why she was developing a creeping feeling of anxiety as the elevator climbed up and up. 

Stepping into the hallway the first thing she noticed was that the entire length had been decorated in red and gold brocade wallpaper. It was so ostentatious and Lannister that by the time Brienne was knocking on his front door, also a ridiculously gaudy shade of red, she was laughing.

"It's open", Jaime called and she took a couple of seconds to compose herself, the laughter clearly just a sign of underlying nerves, before entering his home.

The smell that hit her actually made her mouth start to water although she still felt a little out of her depth standing in a living space that her entire apartment could probably have fit in with room to spare. Apart from the giant screen along one wall the place looked far more lived in then Brienne would have thought possible. It was Jaime unguarded, like she had peeled away the top layer to find something unexpected underneath. The pictures intrigued her the most, she recognised his cheeky smile and Cersei's haughty look even if they barely looked more than six or seven in the photograph.

"Your mom's really beautiful", Brienne told him, feeling a shift in the air behind her.

"Was", he corrected handing her a glass of something dark and sweet smelling as she turned, "She died not long after those were taken."

"I'm sorry, I ... know what that feels like", she sniffed at the liquid very carefully before risking a sip, "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"You're a big girl. A quarter glass of wine isn't going to do that much damage", Jaime watched as she drank a little more, "And it was a very long time ago."

"It still sucks."

"Yeah", he pointed at another picture where he maybe looked about twelve, "My Aunt Genna, she's ..." Jaime smiled and fell into something that made her smile in return, "Awesome."

Whatever nostalgia she'd managed to touch on didn't last long, his gaze and attention moving away from his mother to solely focus on Brienne. "Tour or dinner first?"

"I need a ... tour? Is it that big?" Her stomach however growled a little at the mention of food and it felt nice not to be so overly nervous that she couldn't be also hungry.

"Huge."

Brienne chewed a little on her lower lip as the look Jaime was sending her way had likely nothing to do with simply the size of his apartment. She met his eyes briefly, "Come on then."

Jaime did his usual accidental on purpose brush along her back but that time it felt different and there was an almost questioning second touch. "What the hell are you wearing?"

Sansa had pulled out a cream sweater that hadn't seen the light of day in years, which was currently sitting on top of the redhead's gift from last weekend. The top making Brienne feel like she was wearing hardly anything at all and she guessed that was what Jaime felt.

There was a slight draft at her back as the sweater was lifted and he rubbed the material underneath between his fingers, smoothing it back down over her skin and she dropped her now empty glass in shock at the touch.

"Right", Jaime took half a step back, spinning her around to avoid the shards and keeping his hands respectively on top of her sweater for now, "Off."

She'd done this before, she could certainly do it again but before Brienne could take a hold of the hem he was wrapping himself around her again. Jaime's hands were at her sides and it was with a tortuously slow movement that he pushed her top layer of clothing up. His fingertips kept a hold of her sweater while his palms stayed pressed against her body, a thumb moving in easy circles over thin blue silk that did nothing but enhance the touch. By the time he reached her ribs Brienne was ready to finish the job for him, her skin alight, but Jaime dropped the material with a mischievous look in his eyes and started again. The second time he reached as far as her chest and stopped. There was an undignified whine that erupted from her and as if that was some kind of permission Jaime finally took the sweater above her head, making it feel like he was touching every inch of skin along her arms before dropping it to the floor. Brienne thought it had taken hours when it was probably no more than a couple of minutes, breathing only slightly quicker than Jaime himself.

His right hand ran along the silk underneath and she could almost feel the uneven scars at his wrist from his accident against her skin, Brienne silently thanking Sansa and promising to get her the best Christmas present she could find.

Jaime's lips found her ear rather than her mouth, murmuring undistinguishable nonsense amongst all the dirty things he wanted to do to her later, and on a whim she let her own lips land and travel along his jaw. The rough surface prickled under the quick, nipping movements and his words began to make slightly less sense as Brienne twisted and tried to replicate the same kind of suction he had marked her with.

There was a gorgeous groan from him as she hovered over a particular spot, his closeness causing it to vibrate through her as well and the hairs that were rising along her arms had nothing to do with her sweater being on the floor.

She could do this all night, Brienne thought, but her stomach was complaining and it would be a shame to let Jaime's unusually sweet efforts to go waste. She took another cue from him and whispered in his ear, "Should we eat?"

His face rubbed against hers, a jolt of feline like soft contact, as he nodded, "Before we end up on the floor you mean?"

"One step at a time", Brienne was starting to think she might like him to act through at least one of his suggestions even before that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued I guess.


	63. Sixty Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still half blaming RoseHeart for the smutty stuff now going over three chapters (otherwise known as how to make one sex scene somehow last about 6,000 words!) Hopefully it's still a tease and not becoming too slow.

Jaime was becoming rather pleased with how patiently he was approaching this whole night, though saying that the scrap of material Brienne had decided to show up in was doing absolutely nothing for his self control. Obviously someone with a much better understanding of clothes or femininity or something had helped to dress her tonight and Jaime wondered if he shouldn't be thanking Sansa Stark for her input the next time he ran into her. Certainly having the younger girl around seemed to be a positive influence on Brienne, although Jaime would have liked to think that at least some of that was him, and that could only be an excitingly promising prospect for the long, cold nights being offered by their upcoming stay in the den of miscreants also known as The Vale.

Brienne, stubborn as ever, was refusing to let him lead her through to the kitchen deciding instead to follow her nose like a bloodhound. At least in the haphazard process he managed to give her half of the tour and the way her eyes lit up at the sight of the mini gym in his spare room was well worth the temporary frustration of not being able to have his hands on her.

"There's also a pool downstairs", Jaime told her as he finally managed to get her out of the room, closing the door so Brienne wouldn't be tempted to go back in and finger the machines again. 

"If you ... don't want me to leave, you're doing a great job", she smiled, the rare joke surprising her in it's boldness and granted Jaime a second of distraction to be able to push her gently through the right door.

"Aren't you the one who keeps saying one step at a time?"

Brienne shuffled a little, her shoulders and arms moving to protectively hug her torso as she turned to face him, "That's about ... step twenty right?"

"Who knows." She may have never done this before but tomorrow morning and what was due to come after would be a whole new experience for him too. 

There seemed to be a spark of acknowledgement in her eyes and Brienne changed the subject for him.  "I can't believe you actually cooked. For me."

"What did you think I meant when I said it then?"

"I thought ... you'd .... cheat", she was uncomfortably shifting her eyes around the room, biting her lip in a way that made him want to try exactly the same thing.

"My Aunt inferred it would come in useful someday."

She smiled, her blue eyes lighting up in an unfamiliar way, "Your Aunt really is awesome."

Jaime wrapped an arm around her back, tracing lazy patterns through the silky material under his fingers, "Stop talking."

She looked shocked for a moment before he brought his head closer, Brienne catching up quickly to wrap her arms around his shoulders and if she hadn't been leaning against the dark wood of the kitchen bench to support herself under the onslaught of the kiss he wouldn't have just picked her up and deposited her on top.

Brienne let out a similar squeak to the one she'd made that morning when he had quite literally swept her off her feet and opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, wrapping her strong legs tightly around him. It was admittedly an odd angle for Jaime, he almost had to stand on his toes to reach her mouth but it did give him excellent access to her bitten neck and expanse of freckled skin across her chest. Every room in the apartment he thought as she pulled away to catch her breath, bumping her head on one of the cabinets in the process.

"If you were four inches shorter that would have worked", Jaime told her as she slid down, pushing him back a step or two, keeping the full body contact a little while longer.

She huffed, though he guessed it was more an involuntary reaction than anything else as Brienne's lips were still softly grazing his, her tongue flicking along where they were joined. 

"Are you sure you're not hungry for something else?" He laughed into her mouth as Brienne's fingers trailed over his chest, playing with the first button she could find. Her thumb flicked, rubbed, pinched ever so slowly until the the fastening fell away and she moved down to the next one as slow as he had taken off her sweater. Jaime would have wondered what exactly had happened to the shy girl he'd met a few months ago if not for the way Brienne's hand was slightly trembling.

She'd managed to undo all but one button before her stomach growled like some kind of wild animal and he snapped it roughly, letting her hands roam and push everything off before picking one up to kiss along her palm.

"I'd prefer it if you ate the lamb rather than me. Not that you're not welcome to nibble later ..." he smiled as she pulled her wrist out of his grip and muttered something along the lines of him being full of himself and far too pretty.

"Don't call me pretty", he pressed the advantage of still being close, feeling her warmth against his skin, growling into her ear and the way Brienne shivered even in her momentary annoyance was definitely something that warranted further exploration. Teasing up the bottom of her top as he continued growling his earlier wanting scenarios, he took note of the way her body was starting to react even to the simplest of touches and Jaime thought whoever had come up with the concept of slow must have had a lot more patience than he did.

Brienne let out a noise than sent a rush of blood from his head to his already hardening cock and it was easy enough to grind down a little when she rubbed her calf up over the back of his knee, bringing him just about as close as she could get him without them actually joining. 

"Tell me what that was for", Jaime nipped at her earlobe, just hard enough for Brienne to protest slightly, before following it up with a line of feather light kisses against soft skin from behind her ear to her jaw. 

"Tell me", it became more of a demand the second time and there was an interesting mix of defiance and desire running across her face in response as Brienne's hips rolled, finally starting to trust her body to lead her in the dance rather than her mind. Jaime had to pull away before something could happen much earlier than he'd been expecting, they were still fully clothed and currently rubbing against each other in his kitchen like horny teenagers. Five years he reminded himself, working through long lists of dates and facts he'd picked up over the years related to the Lannister corporation as a calming influence. It was almost worse than being a much younger, much less experienced man because at least with Cersei there had been less of an intoxicating innocence.

"What do you want Brienne?"

The defiance unfortunately won out, "Dinner please, ..." though apparently not for long, Jaime raised an eyebrow as she blushed and stumbled around, "But if you really ... want ... and weren't just saying it ... if you don't mind..."

She'd get there some time next week at this rate he thought, "Spit it out."

That time the scarlet of her face spread down her neck, across her shoulders and along her chest, clashing with the blue of the silk. "Could ... you maybe ... try ... something ... with your .... mouth?"

Jaime stuck his tongue out at her and her blush somehow deepened, none of what was being suggested anywhere near calming. "That can be arranged I'm sure."

Dinner became an interesting affair, which he hadn't quite ruined thanks to Genna's emailed instructions, a battle to see who could land the quickest glancing touch or the most unexpected kiss. Jaime thought he'd won when he accidentally brushed the straps off one shoulder as he went to pick up  Brienne's empty plate but she outdid, and nearly undid, him with an open mouthed kiss over the crossing pattern of scars holding his left wrist together.

"Out", he told her with a forced smile as his grip faltered around the plate, banishing Brienne from the kitchen until further notice or at least until everything breakable was safely put away.

By the time he stepped through into his living room she had stretched herself out along the biggest sofa he'd been able to find that still could fit through the front door, the leather holding her enticingly in place. He didn't know if it was just the way she was lying or if he hadn't been looking properly before but in that moment Jaime saw the subtleties that Brienne tried so often to hide.

It wasn't soft or obvious, not flashy or demanding of attention like his sister's body always had been, but today there was the merest suggestion of a curves and now Jaime had found them he couldn't easily tear himself away.

She caught him staring, her cheeks darkening under the prolonged scrutiny,  but instead of her gaze flickering around the room as usual Brienne held his eyes for a second or two longer than he was expecting. It was possibly the shyest, most nervous come hither look he'd even been offered but Jaime guessed that it was likely the best she was ever going to be able to come up with.

Not that it really mattered with his feet already moving forward, as Tyrion had kindly told him the day before he was already so far past the point of no return he may as well have been in a different country, there was becoming little to separate the want and the need for her in his life anymore.

"That was amazing", Brienne told him as she curled her legs into her body, leaving more than enough sensible space for Jaime to sit down.

He wasn't feeling very sensible though, falling down slightly on top of her, wondering how far he could push before she retaliated as he wanted. "You're supposed to say that tomorrow morning after you've screamed my name a few times. Or maybe thrown out a few deity comparisons."

Brienne sat sharply up, breaking the body contact but only long enough to allow his hand to get a proper grip at her waist, Jaime pulling her around and into his lap in an attempt to get her to straddle him. It took her a second to relax, they had kissed like that before but not when either of them had really been contemplating going further.

The blue across her torso may have felt expensive under his fingertips but as he gripped down to prevent Brienne from moving too much it came apart like paper in his hand, producing a sharp intake of breath from the blonde as he ripped it from stomach to shoulder.

"I'll buy you another one", he muttered, burying his head into the skin above her still covered breasts, thinking he would get twenty if she would keep letting him rip them off.

Brienne stroked through his hair and down his back gently as he moved his mouth from neck to breast and back again, Jaime finding that her careful touches weren't really bothering him anymore as it was just another aspect of her personality he was getting used to being trusted enough to see. Though when her silent sighs and quiet moans started to be all that he wanted to focus on it took a significant pull at the back of his neck to get Jaime to move away. 

Brienne looked down at him, her pupils dilating pleasantly, bringing an arm around her back to settle on a clasp, "Should I ....?"

Jaime moved her hand away and tried to undo it himself, making her laugh over his head as he badly fumbled the process. "I do know what I'm doing", he grumbled as she rested her head on his shoulder and brought her hands up to finish the job.

"I trust you", Brienne whispered before he took a strong hold of her thighs and threw her onto her back. Jaime could see she was already fighting with hiding herself again and although the lust was starting to haze his mind until it seemed like a good idea to just fuck her into the sofa right then, he took her request into account and took a pink pebble into his mouth. 

Her back arched slightly with the new sensation and he repeated the swirling until she found a surprising clarity of mind to reach down and tentatively touch him through his highly restrictive jeans.

Pulling away Brienne looked down at him with heavily lidded eyes, "Take me to bed Jaime."


	64. Sixty Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after some time to think I've decided that this story cannot be left unfinished.
> 
> Thank you to those who have commented and enjoyed the build so far, and a huge thanks to RoseHeart for talking me through my writing doubts.
> 
> I must put a warning on this chapter; there is no story here at all. If you don't want smut look away now.

It wasn't easy for Brienne to walk topless and barefoot through Jaime's apartment now the pounding in her veins was slowing but the near darkness granted her just enough cover not to feel overly uncomfortable. If she had been prettier, daintier then maybe he would have just carried her down the hallway like they were in some stupid romantic comedy and she could have avoided the continued exposure.

As it was she had to keep glancing over her shoulder, waiting for Jaime to catch up after his surprise over the vocalisation of her want had let him stationary, simply so he could show her the way. His hands fell to her hips as he approached, pulling her close to guide every step, the movement allowing her to feel the entirely non platonic expression of intent at her back. Jaime's breath at her neck becoming the only warmth in the space, causing shivers to dance along her skin.

His hands moved to graze against the gooseflesh over her stomach, fingers going to toy with the button of her jeans. Brienne froze for a second when he pushed them away to decorate the hallway carpet and sensing her coming fight with modesty Jaime entwined a hand in hers.

"Don't pretend you're not loving this", he murmured into her shoulder, bringing up her arm underneath his to lie protectively over her chest. 

"Jaime." It was half a warning and half a moan as his other hand slipped beneath her remaining clothing to teasingly comb through blonde curls before finding hot, damp flesh to play with.

"God, you're wet already", he groaned into her ear, not being able to stop his lips bumping along her jaw and Brienne could feel her body further melting into his considered touches. Jaime stroked and circled, slowly finding all the places she liked and she wondered if they hadn't left the sofa behind just so they could do it on the floor instead.

Brienne's eyes closed, head falling back to let him support more body weight as a tremble began in her thighs. His fingers twisted, glancing over her desirous pulse point again before slowly sliding inside. Jaime pushed and she produced a noise surprisingly loud enough to disturb the neighbours if he'd had any.

"Good girl", he commended, "Let me hear you."

Her hips bucked and rolled as Jaime covered his teasing fingers in her arousal and as control began to ebb away he started to meet each movement with a thrust of his own. There was a spark threatening at the base of her spine but before it could flicker into life Brienne reluctantly removed his hand to shudderingly spin in his arms.

"Now you", she whispered, warmth flowing along her overheated skin as Jaime tried to find a little more friction from the hands undressing him, eventually settling on a return to breathless kissing.  

Uncovered he manoeuvred her back until she hit the door of his bedroom, holding her there to make the most of the pleasing skin to skin contact. Her legs parted on instinct to feel Jaime rub himself against her, the hard pressure at the pulsating nub becoming better than any teasing fingertip touch. Whatever he was doing forcing her to allow her body to find a rhythm that worked with his.

Jaime didn't tell her she was beautiful or that he loved her but Brienne hadn't been expecting that. What she got instead was a string of sounds that set her insides alight and amongst the curses her name repeated over and over like a rolling wave. It was enough she thought, her hips tilting in encouragement as she caressed his back.

It had never felt like this when she'd imagined his hands on her, the quivering muscles, the loosing battle with breath, heart pounding as her body cried out for more oxygen.

His thumb fell to massage the soft skin of her inner thigh, the extra touch doing nothing now but push her higher and this time she clenched down as he pressed inside.

"Jaime", she moaned again, feeling a tugging in her belly, a pull persuading her to relax, reminding her there was nothing wrong with what was slowly building up inside. He worked in her until she was a shivering wreck but stopped just before she reached the edge.

"Fuck", Jaime muttered, voice strained, and she let out a whine as he slowly stopped everything, leaving her soaked and wanton.

"Please ... don't ..."

There was a brush at her lips, so soft that she barely felt it and Brienne stumbled as insecurity began to whisper at want.

Jaime caught her easily, guiding her through the open door until her knees hit something solid and she was falling into his bed.

"You still want me to taste you?"

She nodded, modesty disappearing under his blown pupils as he hovered ominously.

"You're going to be the death of me", Jaime muttered fiercely but moved to flutter kisses across her stomach anyway. It was too gentle for him, Brienne thought, before his breath took the place of her underwear and she had to wind her fingers deep into gold to keep them both steady.

He teased her with his tongue, little flicks and lapping motions that made his groans deafen out hers, toes curling  into carpet as beads of sweat rose across her skin.

"Come on, just let go", Jaime's words muffled as hot kisses landed along her thigh before his head snuck back to her centre and she was drowning in the rising swell.

Brienne felt the sudden need to watch him watch her, emeralds glinting in the low light as he gently suckled at oversensitive flesh. The simultaneous series of flicks she felt clearing her mind but for one thing.

"Jaime." 

He hummed into her, words that were nothing but vibration and the build became something more. It tickled down her spine, up her legs, questioning, promising, suggesting as her heart beat faster and faster and faster.

She was spinning and Brienne tried not to fight it, the unfamiliar feeling of being out of control close to terrifying but Jaime was doing his very best to try and coax the fear away. Squirming involuntarily his chin came into contact with her skin, a biting prickle, and she burst. Waves of tension crackling away as if she had been storing up electricity for months waiting for this moment.

"Well done", Jaime smugly praised as he shuffled back to get a better look, carefully rubbing her through the hiccuping aftershocks. When he did join her on the bed it was only to flick sweat soaked hair out of her eyes, watching her fight through the panting, "See how good it can be when you stop thinking."

In her daze Brienne wrapped an arm around him, guiding his laughing mouth back to hers. She was bittersweet on his lips, keeping everything light and loving as Jaime blissfully held her like he never wanted to let go.

Still trembling she withdrew far enough away to be able to rest her forehead against his. Jaime's kisses fell back into wanton patterns, almost counteracting her tenderness as her breath settled.

"You ok?"

Brienne nodded, "Do ... we ... now ...?"

"The word is fuck", he laughed as she jumped back, tentatively biting her lip before mouthing it at him. 

"Insatiable wench."

Brienne's senses were returning, though her body still felt languid and amazing and she knew Jaime would expect her to smack him away. Instead she reached to trail a finger down his length, testing rather than teasing and he hissed as she rubbed over the head before pulling away in shock.

"Stop it."

Brienne repeated the action, intrigued by his reactions but he stopped her before she could test him a third time.

"Wrap your hand around it and ..." his breath quickened as she did what she was told, "... harder."

Jaime winced and she pulled away, "I'm sorry, I don't ..."

"You can't expect to be brilliant the first time. Come here", he slung an arm around her waist, asking her to roll closer. Jaime's hand covered hers as she settled herself into his shoulder, guiding her to his erection.

It was awkward, the angle feeling a little off but Brienne moved as indicated and he groaned, making her jump at the raw desire echoing around the room.

"Am I ...?"

"You're bloody amazing."

Jaime's lips fell to her forehead, eyelids, cheek, peppering her skin with tickling touches as his hand fell away and Brienne began to find the rhythm that hopefully would undo him. 

She stroked down again, feeling him pulse under her fingers, the grip at her waist becoming bruising and a sudden warmth spread across her palm. 

Her name was in his mouth, as if nothing else mattered and by the time Brienne had realised what she'd done Jaime was pulling her hand off him.

"Don't tell anyone how quickly that happened", he laughed, stretching out but attempting to keep her body beside him. Jaime didn't look upset or embarrassed, judging by the light in his eyes he was actually heading towards relaxed and content.

"Sorry."

He laughed again, running his fingers through mussed hair and Brienne thought she'd never seen him look better. "Crazy girl", Jaime told her, "You've got nothing to be sorry for."

"But ... aren't you ...? Aren't ... we?"

"If you insist, but give an old man a chance to recover first", he winked and her responding shove bounced the bed, Jaime draping himself over her to prevent anymore violence.

"Later", he promised and she found it ridiculous that the idea could still make her blush considering what they had just done. "I'd like to make love to you."

"Not ....?"

His breathing was slowing, making it feel like he was about to fall asleep on her, "You're too special for that."

Brienne reminded herself not to get attached to this, it wouldn't be long until harsher things were all he could remember, so she lay and stared at the ceiling until sleep flickered her eyes closed.


	65. Sixty Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A first for everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Massive thanks as usual to RoseHeart who is keeping me on track with everything. :) :)

Brienne didn't stay asleep for very long, just enough time for the aftereffects of the orgasm to be completely gone from her system when she woke. Her heart thundered adrenaline through her body instead, finding herself momentarily startled by the unfamiliar surroundings and Jaime's overly soft bed. He was still holding on, though his grip had somewhat lessened. Carefully Brienne disentangled herself from his limbs and attempted to find some of her clothes.

It took her a while to find her underwear, being so distracted when he had taken them off she hadn't seen where they'd landed. Turning on a light was out of the question though as she didn't want disturb Jaime who was still peacefully deep in dreams.

He murmured her name and Brienne turned, her eyes adjusting enough to watch him move a little further into the warmth she'd left behind. A voice told her to stop being such a coward and get back into bed but her thoughts might be clearer if she took a step away.

For some reason it seemed right to slip on one of his shirts on her way out, though the act was probably supposed to look a little sexier than she was. Unsurprisingly, taking in their similar builds, it fit her well despite only falling a little past her hips.

Her jeans and sweater littered the hall and as she took in the earlier display of passion Brienne realised that she didn't really want to get dressed. Instead she folded them neatly and left the pile by the bedroom door, watching as the front door flared to life under an imaginary emergency exit sign. Her brain was trying to offer her way out which was now easy enough to ignore.

Thinking a tour might have been a good idea, she tested doors and found it almost funny how even the smallest room in his apartment seemed to scream of privilege. The bathtub alone appeared to be a similar size to her entire bathroom and however much she would have liked to seep in warm water for a while, she could hear Jaime already turning and grumbling.

Quickly splashing water on her face, Brienne wondered if she was supposed to _look _different now. Her eyes were bright, cheeks flushed but not uncomfortably so and it all gave her reflection an aura of clarity. Even if she couldn't voice the right words to Jaime she was ready.__

__"Brienne?" Jaime's voice snapped her out of spiralling thoughts, the word no longer unconscious. If she hadn't known better she would have even thought he sounded a little concerned._ _

__He blinked at her languidly as she went to hover in the doorway, his gaze running up her bare legs, "You're still here."_ _

__"I am."_ _

__"That's good", Jaime's eyes were slowly starting to spend longer open than closed. "Good to know you didn't take the first chance to run."_ _

__She shook her head, feeling bad that running had, however briefly, crossed her mind. "I'd rather ... stay ... with you."_ _

__He smiled like she had given him better news than he'd been expecting, taking another long predatory look in the process, "Then how come you're dressed? This isn't going to work if you still want to hide from me."_ _

__Brienne held up the packet she had just retrieved, staying fully clothed just until she felt comfortable enough to undress herself, "Sansa."_ _

__Jaime laughed and reached over to show her an identical foil square, "Tyrion. Do you think they're trying to tell us something?"_ _

__"Be careful?"_ _

__"Have fun."_ _

__She shook her head again and Jaime sprang up. Layers of blankets fell away with the movement and if she'd had any doubts over his affections they would have evaporated in that second. Brienne looked down and immediately went back to his face, her own burning._ _

__He shrugged, as comfortable with his body as she was shy about her own. "I dreamed of you."_ _

__Brienne guessed there was a line she should have pulled out, even if it was something truthful and simple, but instead she stepped silently into the room and kissed him. It was nice to surprise him for a change, she thought, even if he was helpfully taking the lead in encouraging the one step forward, two steps back dance to a new level._ _

__They stood rocking together in the middle of the room, hands falling into slow courses of exploration until Brienne thought she had felt every muscle within easy reach. It was her choice to push away material and bring Jaime's hand to the beginnings of want between her legs, asking him to touch and tease until her body too was ready for more. Although she meant to pull away before it all became overwhelming again, when familiar frissions started to gnaw at her self control Jaime tickled along her ribs and it was just enough for her to breathe a quiet release against his mouth._ _

__"I like you like this", he admitted, half carrying half dragging her weakened body to his bed. Jaime settled her thighs around his and she shifted her hips into a more comfortable position, feeling the friction of him achingly hard between her thighs._ _

__Brienne nibbled at the flesh of her cheek to prevent a moan escaping, arousal starting to flood through her again. "Like what?"_ _

__"Like ..." he groaned as she fought the urge to move, stuttering over his length. "If you want to stay up there you need to be ..." his hands gripped her hips, encouraging the roll, "Smoother."_ _

__"Sorry."_ _

__"Stop bloody apologising!" Jaime snapped, "I'm still going to like you even if this isn't ... great. I'm not that guy."_ _

__Brienne tested the rolling motion and he groaned again, "You need to think of this as practice."_ _

__"Practice?" She raised her hands to her chest, carefully starting to unfasten but Jaime stopped her before she bared her breasts. His hands slipped under the material instead and up along her skin._ _

__"Keep it on. And yes ... a starting point", he tried to grin but his face creased with the effort._ _

__"We should ..."_ _

__"Yeah."_ _

__Slowly pushing himself to his knees, arms tight around her back, Jaime kept every inch of contact as he picked Brienne up and laid her down._ _

__Halfway between excited and nervous, Brienne rose on her elbows and watched his normally steady hands struggle with a condom. "Do you want ...?"_ _

__"A hand?" Jaime looked at her very carefully, "We both know what your hands can do._ _

__She put her head back down and closed her eyes, only embarrassed a little by the retort. Listening to Jaime's frustrated mutterings for a few seconds more, she smiled before feeling his weight shift over her._ _

__He teased her, his cock throbbing at her entrance. "Stop me now if you're not ready for this"_ _

__Brienne nodded and sighed. "I'm ready."_ _

__He pushed ever so slowly, though even Jaime's careful movement caused her to sharply inhale. It didn't hurt as she'd thought, but it was uncomfortable enough to replace the flickers of pleasure with an awareness that made her tense._ _

__"And breathe."_ _

__His words blew along her neck and Brienne tried with some difficulty to follow the instruction. Jaime's mouth fell against hers, the touches making the second, third, fourth movement easier as familiarity forced her to relax. It could have been seconds or minutes before her body took over from her mind, but Jaime's thrusting became erratic soon after._ _

__Brienne tugged at his hair and moaned as his lips went back to ravishing her neck with clumsy attention. Knowing that however much this meant to her, to them, Jaime was feeling more._ _

__Just as she seemed to be keeping time with him, and actually enjoying the sensations being produced, he bit down at her shoulder to muffle the sound of his climax hitting. Brienne chewed at her lip, feeling Jaime pressed against her for a little while longer before rolling away._ _

__"Sorry", Brienne lost the shirt and he ran a careful thumb over the marks in her skin._ _

__"Stop apologising."_ _

__Jaime laughed and pulled her close. She curled around him, not wanting to sleep but preferring to touch rather than lying silent and awkward. He kissed her hair, whispering, promising, claiming, and it was fine. Everything was fine._ _

__Almost as soon as she'd lain it down, Brienne lifted her head from his chest, straining to listen to the weather outside. "Jaime? I think it might be snowing."_ _

__"Let's hope it doesn't stop for a while then. It's been years since I've had a snow day."_ _

__"But ... but you only work three days a week!"_ _

__"Go to sleep Brienne", he purred, "It'll look suspicious if you can't keep your eyes open this afternoon."_ _

__She huffed but realised he had a point._ _

__"And", Jaime's words became whispered caresses, "I want to try that again before you have to leave."_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know I've said it before but seriously there is not much more to come in this story. However I am thinking about doing a short (!) spin off about their time working for Baelish in The Vale, if that would be of interest.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who is still reading and hasn't grown bored of this a long time ago!!!


	66. Sixty Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly I must thank alors for her input on Jaime and the growing relationship in general which really prompted me making this chapter in his POV. 
> 
> Secondly huge thanks to RoseHeart who is amazing and has such lovely comments and is a massive source of encouragement!
> 
> And finally to everyone who has read, commented or left kudos! Its always interesting to read what people are thinking

Morning arrived a little too soon for Jaime, who was starting to enjoy the feel of the girl in his arms. His girl with her head against his chest. She had stayed in her quiet post coital position and was just about warm enough to melt whatever had fallen during the night. He carefully flexed the hand over her stomach, feeling the juxtaposition of soft skin and hard muscle underneath. The snow could keep them together today, Jaime thought, frozen like this for a little while longer.

Not that the opportunity to stay stuck in his apartment, his bed, would stop them from also trying a few other things. If, of course, Brienne was open to repeating a few of the pleasurable things they had already attempted. The very real images playing through his head caused the ache from his morning arousal to intensify and Jaime shifted himself carefully. It was all becoming more than simply carnal, even if he hadn't voiced it yet, it was almost comforting to find Brienne still beside him.

He remembered green eyes opening beside him, the only time Cersei had ever looked vulnerable and trusting. His sister had taken to creeping into his bed after their mother died, both too young at that time to know there was anything other than cuddling. And despite everything it was still surprising for Jaime to discover that he'd missed having a presence in his bed that he wanted to hold on to. Nothing else but a little human contact, though the innocence of his apparent intention was kind of lost with their clothing inconveniently strewn around his living space. However if falling asleep together was to become habit then he hoped it possible they would have a hard time breaking it.

His breath played with Brienne's hair, fine strands rising in the wake as his fingers twitched to touch more but they snapped apart as full consciousness hit.

"Morning lover", he purred as Brienne regarded him warily, giving herself a few inches of breathing room in the process. She'd hardly said a word after the sex either. Not that he'd been much better but gentle, tender things had never been his forte. It had been such a long time and though Jaime could have told her what to do, how good she felt around him, when Brienne had moaned he found himself lost in the act.

The temperature had dropped in his room significantly and coupled with her general self-consciousness, Brienne pulled at the blankets still covering him. They moved far too slowly across the bed as Jaime watched her exposed flesh tremble.

Stupid stubborn girl, he thought, bloody ridiculous woman, following the movement towards her. She tensed slightly as Jaime brought his arms around her, rubbing muscles over the blankets to try and warm her with his own body heat. An angry little voice asked him if this wasn't all just a delayed reaction but Jaime pushed it away before it could take a hold.

"I think we need to consider not sleeping naked in December", he joked as Brienne curled herself smaller. "Though being like this makes the things we could try to keep warm a lot easier."

He grinned as Brienne lifted her head,  her eyes swimming for a second to make the sentiment disappear. She blinked the moisture away quickly, "I should have told you something before ... before what happened last night."

Jaime cocked an eyebrow, hiding the spark of worry that her tiny unsure voice brought to life in his chest. "Another man?"

"Something like that."

Shit, he thought, confused over the anger rising in him as his arms instinctively tightened around Brienne. There was no conscious thought behind his next words but they came anyway, "Listen wench", she set her jaw and Jaime knew he had her full attention, "If you just wanted to be rid of your virginity then ..."

Brienne accidentally, maybe on purpose Jaime thought, punched him as she jerked away, connecting her fist with his face. "You're a piece of work Lannister. They ... they ... I didn't think you'd be like them."

"They?" The word was a growl as he pressed fingertips to where she'd just clocked him. "Who the hell are they?"

She glared, defiant and disappointed. "Hyle Hunt and some others ... made a bet ... freshman year ... to take my ..."

"I'll kill him. I will rip him limb from fucking limb." The sting from his jaw and cheek no longer provided any pain after that sort of confession.

Brienne bit her ravaged lip and her eyes swam again. "Jaime?"

He exhaled deeply, briefly wondering yet again how Margaery Tyrell and his own brother had figured out his feelings before him. He reached out to brush wayward hair off Brienne's face and unsurprisingly she moved away. "He didn't touch you? Without you wanting him to?"

"He tried ... but I dealt with it."

Of course she had. Jaime touched his jaw again and smiled through the grimace, probably in a very similar manner he thought. Hunt's plain face came to mind and he almost laughed as he remembered the shorter, darker man's crooked nose. 

"You shouldn't have had to. If he'd known you then he wouldn't have made you the subject of some fucking ridiculous bet", he paused, knowing he had to make some grand gesture before Brienne went storming out of his door. "I'm not in this, whatever the hell this is, only for the sex."

"I know that", she gave him a shy smile, "If you had been ... well you ... could have picked any girl. You have a lot of admirers."

He had noticed them over the years, some of the vapid little things had been highly attractive, but for some reason now he could only see Brienne. Just like before he could only see his sister. Tyrion had referred to it a fixation. Or a pattern. Or both. Jaime hadn't been entirely sober at the time of that conversation. 

He felt about fourteen, only when he was fourteen he didn't have to speak these things aloud. Cersei already knew. "I want this ... all of this. I want you."

Brienne blushed, the less than delicate colour amplified by the sunrise. "But ... you can't even stand ... me touching you ... most of the time. Not ..."

Jaime reached for her hand and wrestled it to his face, fighting for words. "Trust me, that isn't anything you did."

Boldly she traced over his features, gentle, searching, reassuring and he tried not to move. Not even when her fingers ghosted over his lips and Jaime could have stopped her movements by kissing them. After all, moments like this could be the difference between a strange lust and the possibility of an even stranger love. Jaime thought he knew love, he understood desire completely, but Cersei had only been this gentle when she had wanted something. When she had asked things of him he had blindly done. Like the whole reason he had been at Targaryen Enterprises on the day his father took the company.

"What ... happened to you?"

He heard pity, even if she was more concerned and interested. "What do you think? My mom died, my dad left, I fucked my sister and she ..."

Brienne stared at him, understanding shining through, "She left too."

"You really should see someone about all that misplaced sweetness", Jaime snarked, "You're going to get eaten alive in The Vale."

Her lips touched his cheek, suddenly close again and gentle enough to produce an unwanted shiver, "You're a better man than you give yourself credit for Jaime. You may have bitched at Margaery about us making all that money ... but it was you that made sure my team got bonuses ... and Pia too."

"It was only money." If being a Lannister had taught him anything there was always more money.

Brienne moved back, "You could have kept it."

"You didn't." He hadn't known at the time, but when he'd given his unneeded  bonus to Brienne's eager team of kids, she'd bought state of the art computers and office equipment for them with hers.

"I've never done this for the money. You've seen my place, I don't need that much."

"But tickets to the basketball wouldn't go a miss right?"

She folded her arms, "What did you do?"

"Christmas is coming remember. The Stark's love to remind us of that." Jaime rolled his eyes and she almost laughed.

"I used to love Christmas", he admitted, "though I'm ... usually a buffer between my siblings."

"They don't get on?"

"A politician and an actress? They're liars and fakes the both of them."

"And you still love them."

Jaime wondered how she kept doing that, seeing the good in him he wasn't sure even really existed.

"Says the only child."

"I ... wasn't always." Her eyes were attempting to swim again and he moved to sit beside her on the edge of the bed. 

"That night ..." Jaime put a hand on her thigh and she continued, "My mom died. She was driving home ... in the rain ... with my brother. There was a flood ... and an accident. They ..."

Jaime could work the rest out, and only moved to distract Brienne from spilling any more tears. He found her skin, her mouth, careful, slow, measured, trying to put everything he couldn't say into actions she couldn't misunderstand. So when Brienne reached around his shoulders to bring him closer it was no longer from a place of desire or obligation. 

If he'd wanted her to climb on top he could have encouraged it, or pushed her down to the bed to continue where they had awkwardly left off, but he didn't. They just kissed like it was leading to nothing but more of the same. 

Brienne broke away first, considering practical things like getting to work on time as always. "At some point today we're going to have to move."

"Why?"

She shook her head, letting him kiss her again but not for long.

"You know, considering how screwed up we both seem to be", Jaime grinned as Brienne turned back, "Together we might actually get somewhere."

When she smiled at him properly it was always a rare and genuine thing, "Together", Brienne considered the word as if it tasted funny in her mouth, "Would you mind ... would it be possible ... can you tell me about .. her?"

And so he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm heading back to a lot of plot next chapter, so the pure fluff will disappear for a while.
> 
> Thanks for reading :)


	67. Sixty Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a delay with this one sorry (new job)
> 
> Big thanks and love to RoseHeart as usual :)

"You know you don't have to go just yet", Jaime leant back against the front door, arms folded neatly over his bare chest. At least he'd managed to put some pants on, though with the soft suggestive glance and fluttering golden eyelashes his general demigod status had only been amplified. Brienne knew he was making everything seem warm and inviting, just in case she had any doubts about leaving so early. The door to his bedroom had been left open, just enough to appear accidental, so there was little guesswork involved to work out his proposed next step.

And whilst falling back into bed would have the possibility of being a morning to remember, it was also the easy way out. She assumed letting Jaime win all their little standoffs wouldn't be a good start to their relationship. So mirroring his casual posture, she rested against the opposite wall. "I kinda have to. I need to shower and change and eat before work."

Brienne had sat beside him for what felt like an eternity, quiet and wide eyed under blankets, as he had stumbled over years of indescribable belonging and loss. His mother, his father, his sister, though every word felt like he was drawing blood. It was less than half a picture, all scratchy lines that would only make sense from a great distance, but for a few minutes Jaime let her in completely.

She should have put her arms around him then, offered a little comfort to show that his moment of pure trust meant more than she could say. But Brienne had only hugged herself tighter when he'd brought up the children. It would take a little getting used to that the eldest was a sophomore in college and Mrycy was the pretty blonde who had burned Brienne's hands that first night he'd kissed her. The latter hadn't been too much of a surprise, as in hindsight the sweet girl had been Lannister through and through.

"I have a shower. We can buy breakfast and you've already changed. You're wearing my shirt."

It had almost been as if the wind changed, snapping him out of his confession and making him laugh as he found and threw several pieces of blue silk at her, joking the whole time about a walk of shame. So when he eventually left her to get dressed, protesting that she had nothing he hadn't seen earlier, Brienne had decided if he was so keen on 'keeping' her she might as well steal the pale blue shirt. Though the smile that produced from her gorgeously persuasive boyfriend gave flutter to a hundred excited butterflies.

"I'm borrowing it", she told him and Jaime smiled a little wider, plans already forming in his head. "You can take it back ... next time we've got ... a date."

"Why don't I just take it back now?" The words were only murmurs but she tried to look anywhere but directly at the glinting in his eyes.

Eventually Brienne took a step forwards, trying to encourage Jaime to move from his current position. She realised that, as yet, she hadn't actually tested the idea that she was probably stronger than him. His muscles rippled under her palms as she took hold, reminding her of something large and feline, Jaime using everything he could to try and hold his ground. 

Her arms ended up wrapped around him as Jaime pushed back in less than successful attempts to return to his comfortable verbal teasing. It rapidly became less of a fight, not so much trying to get away as trying to get closer, and Brienne was suddenly aware of how arousing it was becoming.

"We've got to stop doing this."

"Mmmmmmm?" Jaime's noise was questioning though non committal, already too focused on finding lips and skin. She met his movements, stretching and relaxing into familiar patterns of want.

"No really." Jaime fell into biting and sucking down her neck and the roll of her head to give him better access was completely conscious. "We've got to stop."

He let out a breath, which could have been a laugh or a mark of his growing frustration, before stepping away and watching her open the door. 

His eyes were full of false innocence as he tasted her on his lips. "You're not even going to let me say goodbye?" 

"You could, if it wasn't going to take us ... fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen? Jaime scoffed, stepping close enough to instigate a brief, chaste kiss. "Try twenty five."

"It wouldn't ..." Brienne knew how long it took them the last time and her face turned as scarlet as the hall wallpaper. "Tha ...."

"I almost thought you were about to thank me for having you."

She was a rabbit in headlights, freezing at the badly hidden double meaning.

He winked, still flirting better than her even half dressed in a brocade corridor. "I'll see you later. I'm out all morning with investors so I'll stop by for a catch up mid afternoon."

He made a face and Brienne wondered how long it would be until he'd have to go back to his family. Whether he liked it or not. Whether this would be the same with him in another city for most of the year.

He'd demanded she make use of his car, plainly informing her that accidents happen and she had a track record he couldn't ignore. It was an argument she knew she couldn't win. So Brienne settled deep into the leather, feeling him there, the scent of him all over her skin and clothes.

Sansa was still asleep by the time she got home, tucked up so tightly that there was barely even a single auburn strand visible. Brienne left her alone, quietly going through her normal routine before leaving for work.

Like so many before it, most of her day was solitary and uneventful. Sansa text early on to ask if they could have a girls night and Jaime's only contact was a string of letters expressing his annoyance over whatever he'd been asked to do. So it ended up being the giggling of Alys Karstark and Lyra Mormont that pulled Brienne away from multiple spreadsheets, finding him holding court with the girls. Or maybe being held prisoner by their coy flirtations.

It felt inappropriate to be still wearing the blue under her jacket, an indication of their togetherness, of sex, when he caught her eye. His gaze travelled discreetly all over her face, bringing a little colour to her cheeks. She took the time to shyly stare back, emerald green becoming her favourite colour, studying his cheekbones and lower, lips that moved and quirked in a tiny smile.

Jaime was slower, more daring, considering her lack of breasts carefully and she could almost feel his mouth on them even though he was across the room. He met her eyes again, continuing on half a conversation as he smirked at the change in her breathing. Brienne pressed her lips together nervously and the green disappeared for a second too long. When he looked back there was a fire there, burning for her. Jaime's tongue lapped at his lower lip and she almost had to shift her thighs together to quieten the spring uncoiling inside of her. Not here, she wanted to tell him, not here, not now. But they were both trapped.

The girls tittered but Brienne only heard Jaime's words through the battle waging in her head.

"Excuse me, but I think your boss wants me."

Though before she could break at least one company rule, a noise that was half a cough and half a laugh arrived through the haze. Brienne turned and found the last person she wanted to see in front of her.

"She's free now."

Jaime held her gaze a second longer, mouthing something about being busted and Brienne wondered just how long the other man had been standing there watching. 

"Thank you Mr Myr, we'll be right along."

As if there was an invisible strand now tying them together Brienne moved and Jaime followed. She hadn't told him what she had done earlier or what she was about to do now but he questioned neither. He trusted her. Their hands brushed as she held the door open for him, just fingertips for half a second, but it was almost more powerful than if Jaime had thrown her against the wall. And if their time in The Vale was going to be like this, all half touches, static electricity and stolen glances, Brienne thought it might be the death of them both.

"We're about to do something stupid aren't we?"

Not stupid she thought, something to right a wrong. "Something we should have done the moment we knew."

Jaime searched her hands and found them empty, his words slipping out strained and almost disappointed. "You already gave her the Mockingbird report." 

The Mockingbird report had sat on her desk for days as she worked out when exactly would be the best time to give it to Catelyn. The Red Wedding had almost fallen off the news cycles but every now and again The Spider would pop up with another insinuation regarding Jaime's involvement. Her, Sansa and Pia's work proving every one of them false.

Brienne had even added extensive notes following her meeting with Petyr Baelish, ready for the day when Tywin Lannister decided to make the continued inside involvement with Stark Industries public.

"It was about time she knew." Baelish had little control over the situation anymore and Brienne didn't know how long the Lannister's would keep their triumph quiet. There had been a choice hanging over her and today she had chosen Jaime. Brienne had never told anyone about the bet and she guessed he didn't speak often of his sister. It all meant something she wasn't yet ready to put into actual words.

"I'm sorry", she whispered.

"No regrets", he snapped, "You're too bloody young to live like that. Besides it's not like she's about to take our heads."

Jaime barked out a laugh and she briefly brightened.

"It seems you two are becoming near inseparable." Catelyn beckoned them in, smiling as if something peculiar had just come to her. Brienne was only relieved she didn't look anywhere near as mad as the day the Stoneheart account fell through.

"I don't know whether I should be commending you for your ingenuity or sending you both to pack your desks."

They both stayed silent for now, exchanging a quick look and Brienne noticed with that action her boss' smile became a little more of a grimace.

"I never betrayed you or this company", Brienne began, words coming from places she didn't know. "I swear it. Jaime is not the man you think he is."

"Lannister's lie. Isn't that the saying?"

"A Lannister always pays his debts." Jaime corrected, "Everyone lies."

"And what debt does this repay?" Catelyn calmly picked up the report, not knowing her daughter had assisted in it's production. "What warranted the guilt behind this?"

Jaime sneered, "You think I feel guilty because your son got slaughtered in the polls? No one in politics is too innocent for that."

"So what is this?"

"This is proof. Proof that I am more than just my father's son."

Catelyn shook her head, "You've both put me in a very difficult position. This cannot be ignored and yet ..." 

"And yet you still don't trust me", Jaime shrugged as if he had been expecting it. "I wouldn't trust me either. But then again my word isn't worth a damn. But Brienne's is."

"I trust him", she whispered, "As far as I've seen ... as far as I know ... he has never ... intentionally ... worked against the best interests of this company."

"This will need some time. Do not think this will be forgotten but for now you may return to work Mr Lannister. Brienne, I need to stay behind for a minute." Catelyn's voice was ice cold.

Jaime lifted an eyebrow as he left but thankfully didn't pass comment. Brienne fell shivering back into her seat.

"You are aware I'm sure of our company policy about dating colleagues?"

Brienne nodded and Catelyn shot her a disapproving look.

She had read it on the train back from Kingsland and religiously twice a day since. Four pages that basically gave her permission to mess around with anyone as much as she wanted as long as it didn't affect work. Or bring about any sexual harassment suits.

"You must know how the girls talk. I would hate for rumours or an infatuation to damage your career."

Brienne nodded again, careful not to let her thoughts betray her. The same thoughts that minutes earlier had wanted Jaime to come home with her for the weekend, where they could talk and make love until Monday morning rolled around. She could have tried to further defend him, or even denied the extent of their relationship but under Catelyn's steely gaze there was nothing that would wash away the accusation.

"Mr Lannister ..."

"Jaime", Brienne corrected automatically, realising that Catelyn never referred to him properly. "His name is Jaime."

"Mr Lannister is not going to be here forever. The North has never held the interests of his family for long. One day you might find yourself with an impossible choice."

She'd already made that choice. Her heart stuttered and Brienne realised what she had to say.

"I ... we want to go to The Vale after Christmas."

Catelyn looked at her like she'd just said she was taking Lysa Arryn's place in the bridal party.

"Running away has never solved anything Brienne, but on your head be it."


	68. Sixty Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is majorly fluffy so if you're looking for a lot of plot, beware! 
> 
> And RoseHeart you continue to be amazing!!!

Brienne took a deep breath, thinking her shoulders were more than strong enough to bear the weight of her decision. She was reminded of Jaime's taunt about her wanting to run away to The Vale so he could regularly screw her senseless, and she had to push back the unwanted reaction bubbling to the surface of her skin.

"I know what this must look like ..."

"I'm not sure you do", Catelyn sounded disappointed and the idea that Brienne might have let down someone she deeply respected felt worse than if someone had stabbed her through the heart. "All of this Mockingbird business hasn't made me any happier about you walking into whatever Petyr has planned. But maybe the perceived importance of your 'partnership' with ... Jaime will keep you in one piece until the end of March."

There was a mix of barely concealed emotions in her voice and Brienne wasn't sure she'd ever noticed Catelyn looking old before. She couldn't have been more than five or six years older than Jaime, but in that moment the Stark matriarch looked exhausted. It must have been draining to live and work in a world where even your best friend could stab you in the back without a moment's notice.

"We could report back ... if there was anything that would be damaging to Stark Industries ... we could let you know in advance."

If Catelyn was surprised by the way Brienne wanted to cement her loyalty it wasn't shown on the older woman's face. "I'll take that into consideration. Thank you."

"I'm sorry we didn't come to you with this earlier", Brienne whispered as she made to leave the impromptu meeting. "We wanted to make completely sure of everything beforehand."

Catelyn was deathly silent for several long moments and when she spoke again her voice was strained. "You probably would be surprised to learn that I met my late husband through work. I was his brother's secretary for a time." She paused and Brienne felt like she was being given information better suited for one of her boss' children. "So I'm not saying it can't be done but just be careful. He may not think he is anything like his father, but he is not Tywin Lannister's only child."

"Thank you for ..."

"And I'm not joking about those disciplinaries. If I hear one report of inappropriate behaviour during office hours ..." Catelyn trailed off ominously and Brienne realised why Sansa had stayed with her for the better part of two weeks instead of going home.

"There won't be." She chewed nervously on the soft flesh inside her mouth, feeling infinitely grateful that Margaery Tyrell had been more interested in pushing her and Jaime together than in making an official complaint.

"I'll be holding you to that promise", Catelyn gestured her away and Brienne didn't need a second invitation to leave.

Mr Myr had thankfully disappeared from the waiting room outside so the only witness to her relieved hyperventilation was a very confused receptionist.

"I can get you a glass of water", Jeyne called as Brienne went back to spend the rest of the afternoon hidden away from prying eyes. But her life hadn't been that easy since Jaime had strolled into it.

"What the hell are you doing in here?" She hissed, opening her office door to find him in her chair and trying to crack her password by the looks of it. He had managed it before, but only because he'd bribed one of the tech guys into doing it for him. That was the morning she'd been furious to find her email signature suddenly surrounded by twinkling gold stars.

"Pod said it was fine to wait for you."

He would, her brightest team member was starting to like Jaime. The girls did too, but they were interested in other things than what came out of his mouth. It was almost a shame, she thought, that they couldn't take Pod along when they left in the new year.

"Though I'm guessing he didn't say you could invade my privacy."

Jaime lifted an eyebrow, turning in the chair like a Bond villain. "There's not so much of that now you've seen me naked and I've had my mouth between your thighs."

"Jaime!" Brienne exclaimed, pushing the door closed in fear that someone would be in the position to eavesdrop.

"You sounded just like that when I was down on my knees last night", he smiled so slowly that it was difficult to follow the movement. "And by the way you were eye fucking me earlier I'd say you're all ready for another go."

She shook her head, not knowing how to stop her stomach being tied up in knots.

In the blink of an eye Jaime snapped from teasing to almost caring. "What did the wolf bitch want anyway?"

"I think ... I kinda got the conversation my mom should have given me about dating bad boys", Brienne picked up a well thumbed manual and threw it at him, "Employee code of conduct. Page 39."

"I know what it says wench, I'm not oblivious. And I also know you haven't broken so many rules that it makes a difference."

"But ...", she played with hair she should have had cut weeks earlier, "Catelyn's worried I'm going to ruin my career chasing after a lost cause. They know. Gods they know."

"They don't know everything otherwise I would have been given that warning", he stretched languidly as he stood up, "Take your besmirching ways elsewhere Mr Lannister, we have no use for it here in the frozen north. Our maidens are too honourable for you."

"Jaime."

"We'll be careful. I'm not interested in either of us loosing our jobs because you can't keep your hands to yourself."

"Or you can't keep your mouth shut", Brienne was almost proud of how quickly she came up with that retort.

"Well there are ways of making that happen, as well you know", he ran his eyes up and down her and yet again the corresponding heat warmed her skin through.

With the blush still heavy on her cheeks, Brienne risked what seemed like a forward question. "Can I ... maybe see you tomorrow?"

"What's wrong with tonight?"

She rolled her eyes at his eagerness. "Girls night."

"Really?" She had to nod twice before he continued, "Cersei's presenting at some awards ceremony in Dorne so I'm pulling uncle duty tomorrow. You're welcome to tag along but I can't see spending the day with two moody teenagers being all that exciting."

Brienne licked her chapped lips as a thought came to her, "Do you think Sansa knows Mrycy?"

"You're suggesting we keep an eye on three teenagers? Are you mad? Though", Jaime made his way to her and took her face in his hands, "Genius is often mistaken for madness."

He kept his word and didn't kiss her though from the strength of the held eye contact it wasn't because he didn't want to.

"Sunday we're not leaving your bed", he promised and Brienne shivered in agreement as he traced patterns over her skin before leaving the room with a suspiciously wide grin.

As expected when she got home, later than usual because of all the time spent on Mockingbird, Sansa was waiting for her. With what looked like every single type of junk food she could find at the closest store. Brienne shook the snow out of her hair as she examined the range of chocolate covered products she didn't know existed.

"I may have gone a little overboard", Sansa laughed, "But I thought if it went really well it would be a celebration and if it went really badly chocolate wouldn't hurt."

"It was fine."

Sansa scrunched her nose in irritation, "Nope, I don't believe you. Fine isn't an adjective I'm accepting."

She realised she couldn't describe it in any way her friend would understand, not without being terribly embarrassed anyway. It had been incredible, explosive and terrifying all in one go and Brienne didn't think she would ever feel like that again. So she changed the subject slightly.

"Jaime and I have agreed to take a job in The Vale after Christmas. We'll be there through to March."

Sansa clapped her hands to her face to cover her beaming smile. "But Brie that's brilliant! You don't know how much I was going to miss you but now I won't have to!" She bounced over for a hug which Brienne received willingly, "And Jaime too! It's all so romantic!"

"I think ... I might ... love him." 

"I could have told you that", Sansa stopped beaming for a second, placing a hand on her friend's arm, "When you get married I want to be your maid of honour."

"What?"

"Well you're kind of doing it backwards, with the honeymoon first but when it happens I have to be there."

"It's not. We're not."

"Crazier things have happened you know."

Crazier than Brienne Tarth, too tall, too ugly, too strong spending the rest of her life with the pretty, flirty, filthy rich Jaime Lannister? She didn't think so, but she let herself be pulled into Sansa's daydreams for just one night.


	69. Sixty Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for sexytimes. (Sorry if it seems like not much else happens!)
> 
> Thank you RoseHeart for all your words of support and encouragement!

As it turned out Sansa did know Mrycy. During the semester each year the younger girl had to spend in the North, because of her mother's filming schedule, they had actually become something close to friends. Not friendly enough to move in the same circles, but on good enough speaking terms that it took no persuasion on Brienne's part to have Sansa join her on what might be an impressively awkward afternoon.

At least there was a legitimate reason to leave early if they needed to. Trains and finals weren't going to wait for anyone, not even Jaime Lannister.

"Oh look, it's the house that TV built", Sansa sweetly snarked as they pulled up to an electronic gate. Brienne already felt like she was way out of her depth, stumbling over her own name into the intercom. Her friend had no visible nerves but then she grew up in the lap of luxury while Brienne had a frequently absent single parent and only a tiny garden. So finding that his sister spent half her time living in a castle was making her feel a little self conscious.

"I haven't seen Mrycy since she had that horrible break up with Trystane Martell", Sansa was chattering away though Brienne was paying more attention to the turrets on the main house. She thought it must be nice to not have to worry about making your pay cheque last the whole month. "You know that kid from her mom's show."

Brienne didn't but nodded anyway, sending Sansa off on a whole new rant about the pressures of being a public figure. She caught Cersei's name maybe twice but kept her mouth shut.

"This is weird isn't it?" Sansa showed a surprising level of perception as Brienne neatly parked in the gritted drive.

"Kind of. It's just ... strange to think ... I'm not much older than you guys ..."

"And you're dating Jaime", Sansa shrugged elegantly, "Who cares. He likes you, you ..."

Before she could finish the sentence, framed perfectly to make Brienne blush, Sansa shrieked as a large flurry of snow landed in her hair. The redhead shivered as ice cold rivers ran down her neck and under the collar of her impractical coat.

"Hey!" Brienne yelled as a compacted ball of ice smacked against her elbow, not sure where the perpetrators were hiding but feeling Jaime's eyes on her anyway. "Come out and face us you cowards!"

"I assure you I'm nothing of the sort." 

Brienne glared as Jaime came into view, suspiciously hiding his hands. There was a gangly boy of maybe forteen or fifteen a couple of steps behind, a familiar smile on his pink cheeked face. 

Jaime's smile, she realised with a start. He must have been completely oblivious not to have noticed it at some point over the years. Though as the worst case scenario became an undeniable truth, Brienne found that the bad taste she'd been expecting didn't arise. The children couldn't be blamed for their odd parentage and she had no inclination to follow in her stepmothers' footsteps and treat them badly because of it.

"You're late", Jaime took great pleasure informing her of the indiscretion. "We almost thought you'd chickened out."

They locked eyes for a second, neither of them wanting to admit feeling nervous over the strange situation they had willingly walked into. 

"Things came up."

Jaime raised an eyebrow, biting into his smile. "Can't say that's the first time something's come up in your presence."

As she knew from past experience that the ground wasn't about to open up, Brienne closed the gap between them to dump a handful of snow over his head. He at least had the decency to laugh, moving to trap her at the waist.

"Are you done now?" Brienne whispered, feeling his breath thaw her freezing face.

"Never." She tasted his exhale and closed her eyes, waiting for a kiss that never landed.

"Uncle Jaime! Your girlfriend's here!"

Brienne broke away to see Mrycy grinning and waving from a second story window, having sensibly stayed away from the childish behaviour occurring in the grounds. "If you're just about finished, lunch is ready."

"You heard the girl", Jaime took her by the hand, unusually tender, leading her past an unimpressed Sansa and into the house.

It was too pristine and emotionless inside for Brienne's liking, not that love was lacking, but it was still cold nevertheless. Almost as if there was something purposely trying to keep her out. Brienne felt ... her eyes watching from a family portrait at the bottom of the stairs and Jaime squeezed her hand a little tighter.

"You haven't told ... her about us have you?"

"Don't be stupid", Jaime regarded her out of the corner of his eye, "She was gone by the time I got here this morning."

Brienne stared back, knowing they were serious but wondering when exactly this should be broached with an ex that couldn't be forgotten. "You should tell her ... before another member of your family does."

"She'll hate you either way. I'd rather delay that conversation until we're both at a safe distance."

"The Vale?"

"Try the moon." He was studying her with the half incredulous, half amazed look he sometimes got and it shouldn't have made her want to take a step closer, especially not when it felt like she was being judging by a painting, but it did anyway.

"Jaime."

"Don't worry. I'll get to it. We've got months to work this out."

"This is important."

"You're important", Jaime said it like a retort, like he was only trying to get the last word in or make her change the subject, but as realisation spread across his face so did a sheepish smile.

She couldn't deny the rush of emotions running through her as she smiled back.

"If you two don't stop making eyes at each other..."

Jaime grimaced as Mrycy gave Brienne the once over, whispers in her ear sending goosebumps down her spine. "She's secretly overjoyed that you're here. There was mention of a dating site."

And even the fact that Mrycy looked so much like both of her parents couldn't dampen the amusement shining across Brienne's face. Feeling secure in knowledge that she would be saying something similar to Jaime if and when her boyfriend met her father.  
   
She felt his nose brush along her jaw, thinking better of whatever he really wanted to do, before he pulled her into the kitchen for lunch and proper introductions.

It turned out there wasn't really much looking after to be done. In fact Brienne was beginning to think his indifference had just been a plot to make her think that he needed help, when all he wanted was company and maybe even acceptance. Certainly watching soccer with his arm casually around her shoulders didn't feel like any obligation she'd known.

Mrycy swore at the game and Jaime paternally told her off without moving a muscle. He should have raised them, Brienne thought as he pulled her a little closer, he should have been there every day not just when his sister needed a babysitter. It was strange and complicated and sad, though none of it was changing what she felt for him.

His fingertips had just found a tiny slither of exposed skin between her sweater and jeans when Sansa looked up.

"We're going to have to go."

 

Brienne quickly fell back into normal routines without the company of her friend, the only difference now being that she text Jaime goodnight before she went to sleep.

'I'm thinking about you'

His response was instantaneous.   
'Fingers, tongue or cock?'

She didn't know how to respond to that although, for once, she was happy he needed to have the last word.

'Am thinking about you too.'

 

It wasn't the buzzing of the intercom that woke her the next morning, but a determined knocking that shoved her pleasantly hazy dream away. Jaime was more than a half a dream himself as she opened the door, in that second forgetting to wonder which one of her neighbours she would have to remind about strangers and building regulations.

Brienne's words got lost in a yawn and the excitement in his eyes dimmed. "I didn't think you'd get bored of me that quickly."

"You're just early."

Jaime shrugged, his voice dropping to a deep rumble that snapped her to full consciousness. "I couldn't sleep."

"Do you want ... to go ... back to bed?" She cringed inwardly, wishing awkward wasn't her default position.

"Why do you think I'm here?" 

He licked his lips and Brienne could have sworn his eyes darkened, sparking with things she was only just beginning to understand. She took a step forward half a second before Jaime did, crashing together as if they were both starving for something only the other could provide.

Jaime's mouth on hers was hotter than the winter should have allowed, a bittersweet tingle making lips blister and burn. He lapped suggestively as a hand tangled in her hair, demanding she take a step back or open her mouth or something, anything than prolonging the savage sweetness of their early morning kisses. Brienne's own hands roamed in response, reminding herself how solid and real Jaime was and that the fireworks in her head couldn't be replicated in a fantasy.

When he pulled away it was only to slam the front door shut, her cheeks burning hot, his breathing already starting to quicken. Brienne went to tell him off for making too much noise, that she had neighbours who might be still sleeping, but he stopped her with a look that made her knees weaken.

"That's not the noise they should be worried about", Jaime promised, reading her mind, and she had to bite her lip to slow her senses down. Hoping she looked suitably irritated, rather than anything more pleasant, Brienne continued.

"We need to be quieter."

"You're not exactly loud", Jaime found her lips again, her jaw, her ear. "Don't be scared of it. You don't know how hard it gets me hearing you, knowing that I'm the only one who gets to see you like this."

It was almost an afterthought when he nuzzled into straw coloured strands, as if that would allow him to inhale her. "You smell incredible", he murmured, reverent, his normal irony and sarcasm missing. "Your ... eyes are  ... stunning."

"You don't need to ... lie to get me into bed."

"I'm not. Believe me they're the only part of you that is." The hand at her hip began to trace slow circles over her stomach, fingernails gently scraping across muscle to end up pressed between her legs.

Brienne squirmed, blushed and moaned all at the same time. "I ... think ..."

"Stop", Jaime laughed and she ignored the order in favour of encouraging him closer towards her room, step by step, kiss by kiss. Brienne stumbled and he caught her gracefully, holding on tight enough to let her enjoy the feeling of being pressed up against him.

"I haven't stopped ..." Jaime's hair grazed her neck, loosing his train of thought as his head settled, "If you don't want ..." His words were little more than vibrations running under her skin, through muscle, awakening and pooling liquid reactions.

"I only want ..."

They were surprisingly still fully clothed when they reached her bed, causing a breathless, laughingly awkward fumble to unfasten and remove everything before falling down together. Brienne ended up stripping off her own shirt, giving Jaime a chance to look at her properly in the full daylight. Her skin flickered and burned but the low appreciative rumble in the back of his throat was enough to want his eyes on her for a little while longer.

Eyes gave way to hands, hands to lips, slowly learning what really made the other shudder and sigh. The pace eventually made Brienne overcome her embarrassment and plead him to stop teasing and just get on with it. Jaime's laugh was muffled, mouth occupied around a breast, but it wasn't long before they were connecting in a way that made the first time pale in comparison.

Her feet were aching, pins and needles in the arches, as they slowed down. Jaime was tearing noises from her, every breath becoming a sound of pure pleasure. Her eyes closed and he stopped moving until she opened them again, fingers searching for the magic nub that made her groans rise in volume. She may have been strong but everything was weakening now, ankles, knees, thighs. He kissed the sweat off her neck and moved again, her neck arching for him to claim. She'd take and savour every one of the love bites if she could stay suspended like this for just a moment longer. Brienne wanted him closer, another impossible thing, wrapping her legs tight around his hips.

He thrust deeper and she shuddered, feeling like she was teetering on the edge, meeting the movements as her body became a strange confessional, touches and kisses raining down on every inch of skin he could reach. Jaime never stopped whispering, half nonsense half _good, wet, love _, until she guided his mouth back to hers.__

__"Brienne", he murmured, stretching her name out into a promise, each syllable a teasing shiver giving rise to a need for her to stay with him, to give herself fully over to this._ _

__There was little green left in his eyes as it all spilled over and her back arched off the bed, feeling him find his peak shortly after._ _

__"Jaime?" Goosebumps rose as he fell and rested his golden head on her shoulder, covering her as best he could. "That was ..."_ _

__"Thanks."_ _

__She smiled, sleepy, satisfied and so in love. "You're going to be like this all day aren't you?"_ _

__He nodded, and Brienne looked down to find him somber but for the smug grin on his face. "You know, my family always throw a huge New Year's Eve party. You should be there. Officially. As my girlfriend."_ _

__"Yes." He could have really asked anything in that moment, she thought, and the answer probably would be the same. "Though, I think you should, maybe, before we go away, meet my dad?"_ _

__"Really?"_ _

__"I ... I ... think it would be ... right. Especially if ... "_ _

__Jaime stopped her with a kiss, curling wispy strands of hair around his fingers, and she closed her eyes to revel in whatever was coming next. "I'll be looking forward to it."_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one more to go now. Huge thanks to everyone who is still reading this story, even after all these chapters :)


	70. Seventy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently I'm not as done with this as I thought :)
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's been reading and to everyone who has been leaving comments. I'm so sorry I haven't gotten around to replying to everyone individually but rest assured it really does mean a lot to me that you are taking the time to leave such lovely things :) 
> 
> Just a quick warning it's likely to get very fluffy now from here until the end.
> 
> As usual thanks to RoseHeart for helping me through this chapter :)

Brienne switched off the lights in her office for the last time, wondering how the past two years of her life could possibly be contained in the solitary box by the door. She had packed and re-packed it now half a dozen times, opting to leave most of her books behind. It was almost as if she needed something physical to hold on to. A sign allowing her to believe they would return in the Spring.

Brienne shifted her laptop bag into a more comfortable position, resting the box on her hip as she did a final check. If somehow she could have fit the strength of the friendships she'd forged at Stark Industries within the cardboard, the love, the respect, maybe the emptiness wouldn't have felt so ominous. 

Pod sent her a wave from his desk, having volunteered to cover the office phones so the girls could go and get ready for the Christmas party. Her team had been surprisingly agreeable about the 'no gifts, no tears' memo she had circulated earlier in the week, though Brienne had been ambushed by a damp group hug from Lyra, Alys and Pia at lunchtime.

Pia was leaving too, though not to continue her role as Jaime's sometimes inept assistant. Her move would be more permanent, back to the Lannister corporation headquarters. And when Baelish had heard the news he insisted a replacement be provided. Despite her position Brienne had never expressed a need for an assistant but Mya Stone's resume had been emailed to her late yesterday evening and there was little she could find to argue about the appointment. 

Jaime's first reaction however had been to fight against what he saw as a tactical retreat into Lannister territory. He explained that in the last week several staff members had been pulled out of similar liaison positions and that could only mean his father was planning a major shakeup. He was even concerned enough to spend hours on the phone with his father's people while she had pretended to watch bad tv, glancing over pages of notes about her potential successors. He'd asked her to dinner, an actual date in an actual restaurant like an actual couple, but his engrossing family matters meant they ended up missing their reservation.

Brienne gave up and ordered Chinese shortly before he slammed the phone down in disgust, listening to Jaime vent about a lawyer named Pycelle who didn't know his ass from his elbow. She frowned at him, he apologised for worrying her and they ended up sitting on the floor eating lemon chicken out of paper cartons.

She was supposed to go home afterwards but when presented with his sudden vulnerability Brienne's resolve had stuttered. It was becoming easier to work out the rare occasions when Jaime needed comfort, though his past relationship meant the link in his head between it and sex was effortless. Brienne knew that however much she was enjoying their time between the sheets, she wasn't _that _girl and he couldn't expect all the same things from her as he had from ... her.__

__When they had eventually stumbled into his bed Jaime simply held her close, pressing his chest into her back and inhaling deeply before drifting into a peaceful sleep. It wouldn't be difficult, Brienne thought, to change her mind about them spending more nights apart than together. But they might have to be more careful in The Vale. Especially if, for whatever reason, their relationship had to stay hidden from Baelish._ _

__Lost in her own thoughts Brienne felt the air behind her shift slightly, sensing the approach of what would likely be another colleague come to wish her well in her new position._ _

__"Now are you absolutely sure you've got everything?" Jaime snarked with a tangible lop sided smile, sounding exactly like a parent.  "Remember we're going for three months not three weeks."_ _

__She looked at her closed door again, "I've got what I need until I come back."_ _

__"You shouldn't wish your life away.  Better offers come along all the time and you might not want to come back." His charm was trying to return, though moving or maybe the prospect of Christmas with his family was causing him to be a little sharper than usual._ _

__"I'm taking that to mean you didn't come to help."_ _

__"You have one box", Jaime pointed as she turned, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "Do you really want me to take it to your car when you're so concerned about how we act in public?"_ _

__Her eyes widened and she took a wary step back. "Was there actually a reason for ... this or are you just here to mess with me again?"_ _

__"Can't it be both?" He grinned and the frost thawed. "I came to see if you needed a lift to the party tonight."_ _

__"I'm not ..."_ _

__Jaime stared her down, "You are. Even if I have to drag you there myself."_ _

__She would have been slightly happier about attending if the Tyrell's hadn't been involved and the party wasn't being held in a hotel ballroom. Like it was some kind of alcohol fuelled, tinsel edged prom._ _

__"I'll give you your present after", Jaime promised._ _

__"It's not Christmas yet."_ _

__"The world isn't going to implode if you unwrap it a few days early", he paused and Brienne noticed the flicker of wickedness across his face. "You may even like it."_ _

__"But ..."_ _

__"The car'll be outside your apartment at seven. Try to not be late this time."_ _

__Brienne caught the look of second hand embarrassment on Pod's face as she let out an exasperated breath and followed Jaime out into the corridor._ _

__He was holding the elevator door open as she rounded the corner, moving to take the box out of her grip as soon as she got close enough._ _

__"Look up Brienne", he insisted and as she glanced over Jaime's eyes were filled with mischief. "I think somebody likes us."_ _

__"Mistletoe", she smiled, feeling some of her irritation lift at seeing the almost legitimate excuse to kiss in public. "Did you just put that there?"_ _

__There was an arm around her waist as the doors closed, lips brushing against hers as Jaime shook his head. "Cross my heart."_ _

__

__Sansa showed up, ladened down with several bags, not long after Brienne arrived home. Despite the stress of finals and general excitement of new boyfriends, the redhead hadn't  forgotten about the party promise made weeks earlier._ _

__Her arms flew around Brienne as soon as the door opened wide enough for the slender girl to squeeze through. "I almost called to check you were still my date tonight. Now that you have an actual plus one for these things."_ _

__Brienne sighed, "We're not joined at the hip." She attempted a change of subject before her friend could insinuate that the join involved other body parts. "How were your exams?"_ _

__Sansa pursed her lips as she ignored the question, looking Brienne up and down before passing over one of her bags. "I knew you wouldn't agree to it so I went shopping for you."_ _

__

__By the time Brienne was outside waiting for the town car to arrive she felt like she'd been squeezed into the skinny jeans. Sansa had given up eventually though not before there had been a smudged black line drawn under her "gorgeous" eyes._ _

__"You'll not be let in if you dress like that at New Year", Jaime dismissed her outfit as he shuffled along the back seat, impeccable as usual in an expensive dark grey suit._ _

__"And I'll kill you before you see me in a dress."_ _

__"I'd like to see you try." His challenge was followed by a smile that indicated he was impressed with the speed of her retort._ _

__"Just give me a reason Lannister."_ _

__"You've had a hundred and yet here I still am. I wonder why that is."_ _

__Brienne coloured, focusing on the small clouds of breath fogging in the night air instead of directly on Jaime. "It would be ... bad for business."_ _

__"Liar", he laughed, "You love me too much to hurt me."_ _

__Another wave of heat burnt her skin and she hoped it wasn't glaringly obvious in the cold. "Do you want to test that theory?"_ _

__"Oh for gods sake", Sansa squeezed herself between them and into the car, "You can flirt later."_ _

__Brienne furrowed her brow though Jaime only grinned in response as she settled herself a little too close to him._ _

__

__Sansa held Brienne's attention for the entire journey, overloading her with information about The Vale, so it was  Jaime who noticed Margaery Tyrell in the hotel lobby._ _

__"Do you think someone forgot to tell her there's no crown tonight?"_ _

__"You really don't like her do you?" Brienne whispered back, concerned that if there was an underlying problem she should be made aware of it sooner rather than later. Unless something drastic happened at Lannister HQ while they were away, and he was needed elsewhere, she wasn't entertaining the thought of Jaime not coming back with her._ _

__"She reminds me of someone I'd rather not think about."_ _

__Brienne considered that as Margaery saw them and waved, making her way over to where they had stopped. "I think I should have stayed at home."_ _

__"Then you would have missed out on the surprise." At her sharp glance Jaime laughed, "You didn't think they were really going to let you go quietly."_ _

__And much to Brienne's dismay they hadn't. Following a round of congratulatory hugs from Margaery, who smiled smugly at the reduction in tension between the two blondes, the night became wave after wave of embarrassment. It took Brienne longer than she would have liked to realise her memo had been completely ignored.  And around that time the brightly coloured cocktails on offer became almost acceptable, though Sansa ended up stealing more than a few mouthfuls._ _

__"Might I have this dance, my lady?" Jaime appeared out of nowhere after the third drink had been shared, looking a little more bedraggled than earlier but Brienne assumed Pia probably could take the blame for that._ _

__"I don't ... I mean I can't ..."_ _

__"For once in your life woman why don't you let someone else take the lead."_ _

__"We shouldn't ..."_ _

__"We should", Jaime pulled her away from the wall and out onto the floor of the ballroom._ _

__"This is ridiculous", Brienne told him as she put a hand around his back, "I'm going to break your toes."_ _

__"Two minutes", he risked briefly pressing his lips to hers, "Then we can go home."_ _

__

__It turned out to be closer to twenty after Jaime got into a bizarre discussion with one of the night watchmen about bears and Brienne would have fallen asleep on the back seat had he not instigated a make out session as soon as the door closed._ _

__"Do you want to unwrap your present now?" Jaime asked as she found the new jeans had just enough stretch to let her settle into his lap._ _

__"It's ... not ... Christmas." Her breath caught as his tongue traced along the shell of her ear, mimicking motions he'd rather be doing elsewhere._ _

__"Unwrap me."_ _

__Brienne had to pull away to make sure she didn't just imagine what he'd just said, finding the emerald in his eyes fading. "You're giving me ... you? Just because I asked you ... not to spend a lot of ... money doesn't mean ..."_ _

__"What do you want Brienne?"_ _

__The hint of alcohol still in her veins prevented a flare of embarrassment, thighs holding him into the leather as Jaime moved his hips to show her exactly what he wanted._ _

__"I ... I want you."_ _

__He pushed up slowly, providing Brienne with just enough friction to  start the flickering of a pleasant ache between her thighs. Arms circled her waist, bringing her close enough for Jaime to rain kisses and touches along every inch of exposed skin he could find. Her hips rolled, familiar movements by now, hands settling in hair, on muscle, bending her head to rub her cheek against his. The sensations of soft on rough made them both groan and the thought passed through Brienne's head that although neither of them were drunk enough to consider sex in his car a good idea if they didn't get inside soon they might not be able to stop._ _

__She sighed as Jaime broke the contact, allowing his hand to skim over her stomach and bury under dark denim. Despite their surroundings as he grazed over a spot that was already damp Brienne breathlessly promised things she hadn't even realised she'd thought._ _

__It was likely the coming climax talking, a rush of hormones that usually made him babble not her, but Brienne couldn't stop the words cascading around the sounds Jaime was coaxing out of her._ _

__"I love you."_ _


	71. Seventy One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is almost a bonus two in one chapter, partly because of work commitments I won't be able to finish it this week. 
> 
> As with the last chapter, it's fluffy! :)
> 
> Thank you RoseHeart. You are AMAZING!

Brienne's eyes flew open as she realised what exactly had become half lost in a quietly breathless moan. As Jaime met the widening blue he looked like he was trying to make sense of what he'd almost just heard. Her ability to say little else but his name when she got close to orgasm was embarrassingly like an ego boost he didn't need, but what she'd just cried out was possibly a feeling he hadn't been expecting so soon.

"You what?" Jaime started to pull his hand out of her jeans though his movements betrayed other desires, eliciting a strangled sound of need as his palm purposely ground against her nub on the way to an actual serious conversation. Brienne rolled off him as quick and gracelessly as she could and there was a moment where she missed the close contact before worry set in.

He was watching her carefully and Brienne knew she must have looked an even bigger mess than usual, freckle subsiding blush, swollen lips and huge eyes, though there was too much confused lust on his face for her to forget his questioning.

"I ...", she whispered, turning her head so he couldn't see the hot tears forming in her eyes. It wasn't as if she hadn't thought the words before, had all but admitted it to Sansa, but the idea that he would fall on sharp quips or easy laughter in this moment was almost too much to bear. Jaime glared, unreadable emotions flickering across his face making her think about how single minded he could get, how reckless he'd been when previously in love and Brienne almost wished she had said something else entirely.

But Jaime didn't look away even as the car slid to a halt, the engine continuing to purr like a tamed beast. Brienne felt as nervous as she'd been weeks earlier, when the realisation of her crush had hit, tidying herself up before wrapping her jacket a little tighter around her torso. She reached for the door but a hand around her wrist stopped the movement.

"What did you say?" Jaime insisted, a note of doubt slipping into his tone.  

Brienne wanted to disappear, there was little she could hear but the pounding of her heart and she swore Jaime's fingers were nervously tapping out the same rhythm at her wrist. He could probably feel her pulse throbbing under her skin and it was strangely comforting how he was copying the pattern of her racing heart.

"Maybe you just love my fingers inside you", he considered after she stayed silent for a little too long. Jaime must have been pushing for a reaction, a punch, a gasp, something but she only removed his hand from hers and took a deep breath.

"I love _you _"__

__It was stronger, more determined, the second time around as the sentiment was no longer caught in desire but her voice still broke as Brienne fought the urge to glance across at him. She'd seen him angry before and though some of the same signs were present now, that didn't appear to be the whole story._ _

__A single tear stubbornly escaped, falling like the start of an oncoming storm, and Jaime was suddenly there to wipe it away. His left hand found hers, squeezing gently as she stared into mossy forests of honesty._ _

__"Brienne ...." she held her breath waiting for him to finish the thought. There was little chance he would lie to her, Jaime had continued to be upfront about a lot of things she probably would've had an easier life without knowing, but that didn't mean her love would be returned. Jaime held her gaze with a look nearing irritated bewilderment, as if he was finding it hard to speak his mind._ _

__"I'm yours."_ _

__She blinked, processing the new information even slower than usual and it caused the beginnings of his smile to falter. Maybe he didn't actually need to say the exact words to make this feel right. Maybe after the breakfasts he'd attempted, the secrets shared and the streams of text messages they were really moving forward together._ _

__With no real urgency she moved to feel his lips again as a giddy, happy feeling threatened somewhere deep inside. Her skin was so alive with heat that the boldness in her bones barely registered as embarrassment, Jaime gently resting his forehead against hers._ _

__"Do you want to stay tonight?"_ _

__He murmured in her ear as she finally opened the door and Brienne was sure she only imagined relief coming off him in waves. His words were lovingly filthy things about the colour of her eyes and the strength in her thighs, making her grateful he had the decency to stay quiet. And though his ridiculously self-serving present had seemed merely sexual in nature, Brienne wondered if Jaime was clumsily trying to give himself over to be claimed in the same way he'd done with her._ _

__She fumbled with her keys as he took a step towards her, only coming close enough to feel his presence falling into a holding pattern at her back. As if touching her again would destroy whatever fragility they'd shared. The cold began to stroke and seep through the chosen thin clothes, the extreme temperature change suddenly hitting Brienne's already wobbly muscles._ _

__Her hands trembled and Jaime caught the mass of metal and plastic before it hit the ground. It was a lot later than normal for them and he must have taken on board her concerns about noise and neighbours. Even if at the time he'd insisted he couldn't care less. There was a question on his lips as she went to stop any further teasing, but as her skin met his Jaime chose to ghost a kiss to her jaw and unlock the door instead._ _

__They had been desperate before, passionate enough to snap buttons and tear clothes. And Brienne had a barely healed carpet burn on her lower back as proof of that surprisingly tense long lunch. War wounds according to Jaime, who still had thin lines of fingernail scratches over his shoulders, as if when they got really riled up they only fucked because they couldn't kill each other. Though the hunger of urgency was now only notable in it's absence._ _

__But goosebumps still rose in uncontrolled shivers as he brushed against her again, the awkward movement straddling the line between deliberate and accidental._ _

__"Don't start anything without me", Jaime quipped, pushing her down the short hallway with a grin aimed to make her squirm. It was almost as if he had, after his initial confusion, accepted the strength of her feelings and now only wanted to get back to continuing what they'd started before the words were aired._ _

__Brienne narrowed her eyes warily, stopping whatever he was planning before it could grow to a point where he wouldn't not follow through. "Why? Where are you going?"_ _

__Jaime smirked, lying in wait until she realised what had just been inadvertently propositioned. Her lip bled as she bit down at the cracked surface, her innocent worry being replaced by the idea that her shower might just be big enough for two._ _

__"Oh ... screw it", Brienne muttered a few long seconds later. She might as well make the most of tonight since Jaime was leaving in the morning and would be out of town for the best part of a week._ _

__"Screw me, you mean", he corrected and though wiping the grin off his face did seem like something she wanted to explore, Brienne took the lead for once and pulled him along after her._ _

__After all, she thought, love did have a habit of making people do strange things._ _

__*****************_ _

__Jaime settled himself into one of the plush seats of the family jet the morning after his new relationship had shifted gears, watching Myrcy eye the compartment where he'd stored a bag of professionally gift wrapped presents. The teenagers had been dropped off by chauffeur shortly after Brienne's little but surprisingly roomy car had disappeared. She hadn't understood the concept of flights that weren't minutely scheduled and insisted on the lift since she was passing the airfield anyway._ _

__Though if they had turned up even five minutes earlier Jaime thought the power of Brienne's embarrassment might have been enough to fuel the plane. Their kisses and touches weren't leading anywhere but they both lingered a little too long, safe in the shared moment. She eventually wished him good luck, he promised he'd call and they went their separate ways._ _

__Before Brienne drove away some part of him ached to ask if he could avoid the coming nightmare to stay and hibernate with her for the next few days. She loved him Jaime thought, still half amazed he hadn't done or said something to upset her strong sense of morality, but in his experience even the presence of love meant 'no' would more likely be the answer than anything positive. Brienne didn't have a reason to hide from her family and there was no way she would let Jaime shirk any one of his Christmas obligations either. He understood duty and family loyalty but the longer he was away from Casterly, the less it felt like home._ _

__Besides he knew there would be at least a couple of family members that would miss him at the dinner table later in the week. And two of them were now looking at him with their fiercely green eyes._ _

__"You're supposed to turn your phone off Uncle Jaime", Myrcy chastised, sounding too much like her mother for his liking, staring at the flashing screen on the table separating them. "Even if, for some reason, your girlfriend is besotted with you."_ _

__Jaime shook his head but still laughed at Brienne's message, perfect grammar concealing irritation, asking him to not use every single item in her kitchen next time he wanted to eat in the morning. He was grinning at his reply as Cersei stepped onto the plane, bitterly beautiful in circulation stopping jeans and a snow white fur jacket._ _

__"I thought you were joining us later", Cersei didn't sound at all pleased with the change to her original demands. "Or have you finally seen the light and Stark Industries is now something best forgotten?"_ _

__"Father wanted us all together."_ _

__Her lips pursed, eyes searching for the hidden mini bar despite the early hour. "Well, dear brother, you've never been good at denying the wants of your family."_ _

__There was a nasty retort forming on his tongue but as Jaime caught sight of the happily oblivious children something made him think better of it. "Tyrion offered to collect Joffrey from school."_ _

__Cersei scoffed, waving a manicured hand, "Joff doesn't need any more of _his _help. That drunken little imp has led my son astray far too many times already."___ _

____Jaime didn't have much contact with Joffrey, who was currently perfecting being a troublemaker in Kingsland between classes. Tyrion was supposed to be keeping an eye on him but however little Jaime knew about teenagers, his brother knew less. There had been an incident with a prostitute a couple of months back and he knew that whatever his parentage may be, Joffrey was Robert's son through and through._ _ _ _

____Myrcy met his eye sympathetically, ear buds already out of her bag in preparation for a rant she'd clearly heard before. Tommen quickly buried himself in a video game, paying little attention to his mother, and Jaime had never been happier the flight home took less than an hour._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Despite Tywin's no nonsense insistence that the family be together for the holidays, his father didn't actually show himself until lunch time on Christmas Eve. By which point Jaime was beginning to believe the forced family time was some kind of new elaborate torture. Though he had in the past happily spent days, weeks, months with either one of his siblings as his sole companion, it had been a while since all three of them had been under the roof of The Rock for any extended amount of time. Not since they were children, he thought, and as children they hadn't yet suffered the hurt and betrayals that adulthood brought._ _ _ _

____It didn't help that however alike Cersei and Tyrion were, both interested in the joint siren song of power and liquor though only one was smart enough to handle both, they couldn't stand the other's company. Unless, of course, it was with ulterior motives in mind. All three of them were too quick with words, almost competitive, and Christmas only brought out their worst sides._ _ _ _

____At least he could find an escape at night, hours spent with a girl who wasn't the best conversationalist but somehow still managed to find the right ways to set him alight with a confused myriad of emotions. Maybe after a few days without Brienne around, following months of being in each other's space at work and now at home, he was simply missing her. But those were words he couldn't voice as he listened to stories about her father, the insane post Christmas triathlon Brienne was entering and eventually her quiet breathing as she inevitably fell asleep. In return she got a history of The Rock, Tyrion's often drunk escapades and enough sexually charged bickering that Jaime could perfectly imagine her beet red face. Though despite their rendezvous in his living room, his car and her shower Brienne balked at the idea of talking and actually touching._ _ _ _

____"Merry Christmas Jaime", she yawned as means of ending the call, "Now go to sleep."_ _ _ _

____"I'll dream of you."_ _ _ _

____He always did, even in a house filled with the poisonous cycles of love lost and found and lost again, circles of hate and lust, even the worst nightmare played out under a pair of glittering sapphire stars._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Christmas morning had become a much more sedate affair in the last few years, now the children were all old enough to be more interested in sleeping than presents, but Jaime could still remember being woken up stupidly early by childish excited whisperings. Cersei had liked him being there for that morning only, showing off the proof of their love, before stealing away together to act on that feeling._ _ _ _

____Jaime wondered if Brienne had ever thought about children and Tyrion beside him had to repeat his statement as confusion over the origin of that strange thought flooded Jaime's senses._ _ _ _

____"If you want to make a call brother, for the millionth time I might add, no one's going to notice if you disappear for ten minutes. You might as well thank her for the presents."_ _ _ _

____Brienne, sweeter than he really deserved, had discreetly sent Tyrion, Myrcy and Tommen little gifts that no one would guess had come from her. Jaime's present was still on her bedroom floor, being too large and conspicuous to save for Christmas Day. The massive coffee table book had been filled with the same kind of paintings he had hung throughout his apartment, which naturally Brienne had noticed. Much like the photographs of his mother._ _ _ _

____Tyrion continued with a forced smile, dropping his voice so that Cersei, already on her second glass of wine, couldn't hear. "I take it you've invited her for New Year then."_ _ _ _

____Jaime nodded. He'd even half persuaded her into a dress, though only after they'd compromised and Brienne would be spending two nights in a hotel rather than at the house._ _ _ _

____"Just a suggestion but you should probably keep the sexting to nights where you haven't consumed half a bottle of scotch, though it's nice to know ... wait, what did you say again?"_ _ _ _

____Jaime snatched to erase the mistake and Tyrion laughed under his breath, "Love suits you brother."_ _ _ _

____It didn't feel like any love Jaime had ever known, but Tyrion had always been more perceptive. His brother smiled again, Jaime taking his chance to slip out of the room to steal another quiet moment with Brienne._ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's definitely only one more left now. Thank you so so so much to everyone who's stuck with this!!!


	72. Seventy Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now we come to the end of High Garden. For those of you who've been following this from the beginning you'll know how bad I am at keeping myself to chapter targets so this has had to be split into two parts, sorry.(But I've posted them both together) Major warning for smut in the first part, fluffiness throughout as usual.
> 
> Huge huge huge thanks to the wonderful and talented RoseHeart who has been the most perfect beta anyone could ask for and just an amazing person in general. She is the reason why this story hasn't been deleted several times over during the past couple of months. Thank you doesn't quite sum up how much I've appreciated your help and getting to know you has just been lovely.
> 
> This corner of the Internet is such a supportive bunch and I must thank everyone who has stuck with me, left kudos or comments. Every one has helped me in some way as this story went through so many changes. I hope you all enjoy the finale and I'm sure I'll be back with more stories at some point soon. I still have ...Butterflies to finish after all.
> 
> Thank you :)

Brienne stood alone in the crowded train station, having finally arrived in Casterly after a long journey that had been made even more arduous by the relentless wintry weather. Slinging her overnight bag over one shoulder she searched the busy space for a golden head and wry smile, Jaime's absence providing a rare occasion in which she was actually grateful for her height. The opaque plastic sleeve containing her party dress was neatly folded over her arm and Brienne nervously smoothed out non-existent creases as she continued to scan the waves of friends, families and lovers all in town for New Year's Eve celebrations. Sansa had dragged her shopping in the post-Christmas sales, having already scouted out places that would stock anything formal in Brienne's size like a carefully planned military operation, although her friend's foresight meant she'd only been in the mall for half an hour before they found 'the' dress.  
   
The early afternoon sun trickled through the glass overhead, providing a warmth sorely lacking from the past few days. Brienne hadn't really minded the heavy snowfalls when she'd been curled up in front of a roaring fire, her dad fully embracing the spirit of the holiday season, but on returning home after those few days away she'd found her bed uncomfortably cold. Each nightly phone call she shared with Jaime was more than welcome, supplying a level of intimacy she hadn't been expecting, although it wasn't long before Brienne realised they were no substitute for actual physical contact.  
   
Not that Jaime had been backward over presenting several shiver inducing ideas about how to work around that particular temporary problem, the likes of which had only intensified after the Lannister jet had been grounded and her attempts at talking him out of wasting hours on a train had been successful. Since she was travelling down anyway, Brienne had argued, it only made practical sense to amend her plans and arrive in Casterly a day early. They would still have the time together and though she assumed her hotel room wouldn't be left vacant for too long, it would give Jaime a chance to show her around.

However if the week apart had become more she might have caved, needing something to help relieve the tension his purring seemed to spread under her skin. And the dreams weren't helping things either. Though most were mundane domestic scenarios, her brain working through all the potential problems moving into adjacent apartments at The Gates of the Moon complex would bring, it was the occasional erotic one that left her dripping in sweat and drawn as tight as an archer's bow. Even if Brienne knew it was partly falling asleep with his head on her chest, lips stealing soft sounds from her throat as she woke, the growing familiarity of having Jaime simply _there _that she was missing.__

__She scanned the crowd again, feeling like the only one who didn't know exactly where they were going. Despite the Lannisters being involved with Stark Industries for a while now Brienne had never been important enough to warrant a company sponsored visit to Casterly. And when she'd finally climbed a rung on the corporate ladder Jaime had already inserted himself into her life, taking away the need to travel._ _

__Remembering the first time they met inexplicably made the corner of her mouth twitch, though it disappeared as a loud whistle cut through the general chatter of her surroundings, causing her to almost drop her bags in surprise._ _

__"Good afternoon", Jaime mouthed from his vantage point on the balcony above her, suggestively biting into his smile._ _

__"How long have you been up there?" Brienne set her features into a mask of irritation as she stared back. The unconcealed flames that began to burn her cheeks slowly caressed a hot trail down her neck, watching as Jaime quickly licked his lips like he could taste the heat, smugly following the colour change until it flickered beneath the collar of her coat._ _

__"You've cut your hair." She tugged at the shorter strands, avoiding his eyes for a beat. "I hate it."_ _

__"Will you just come down?"_ _

__He shook his head, his smile turning languid and hungry. "I'm not done yet."_ _

__For a second she pitied his late mother, realising what a nightmare he must have been as a child and wondered if beneath the sweetness Mrycy and Tommen shared the same traits. "Goodbye Jaime."_ _

__Brienne turned, graceful for less than a heartbeat as she walked into a crate the size of a small wardrobe. The young woman pushing it towards a train glared before she started to placate whatever creature was inside. Brienne attempted a quick apology, escaping exotic pets were all she needed on top of a stubborn flirt of a boyfriend, glancing around for an exit and finding Jaime almost within touching distance instead._ _

__"Hello Brienne."_ _

__If they'd been different people then that would have been the perfect moment to display some sort of affection, but instead she just nodded. "Jaime."_ _

__His eyes fell upon the plastic, "Did you really buy a dress? If I'd known you were that easy to persuade I might have asked for something else", he paused, clearly thinking._ _

__"Don't strain a muscle."_ _

__He grinned and she was torn between sighing and blushing again. "How about a key?"_ _

__"For what?"_ _

__Jaime suddenly became interested on the departures board behind her. "Gates of the Moon."_ _

__There was no need to suppress a smile, she'd already had copies made. Just in case. After all neighbours should have keys in case of emergencies. "Just don't think it means you can come in and ... move my stuff around when I'm not there."_ _

__"I'll just lie in wait then." He took a step forward, though not so close to intrude into her personal space in such a public place. "In your bed." He made to take the dress from her, thumb coming in circling contact with the soft skin of her inner wrist, careful, considered but almost as carnal as if he'd pushed her against a wall. "Naked."_ _

__"You'll get hypothermia."_ _

__"Not if I've got my warm stubborn freckled woman to keep me company."_ _

__Their exchanges were rasps and rumbles, verbal foreplay, the back and forth far easier now than it had been a few weeks ago._ _

__"But you will get bored when I don't play along."_ _

__"I'll love you even then."_ _

__She blinked rapidly, not sure if he had reverted to underhanded tactics to claim a victory. ".... You ...?"_ _

__Jaime shrugged, fixing her in a green beam of light. "There's nothing wrong with your hearing, Brienne. Don't make me repeat myself. Now where are you staying?"_ _

__

__Brienne had chosen the modest Station Hotel instead of using her employee discount and staying at yet another Tyrell monstrosity. According to Sansa New Year's Eve at The Rock was an important event on the social calendar, so coincidence or bad luck meant Brienne would probably run into Margaery at some point over the next few days. She'd like that meeting to be in a environment where she could excuse herself if needed, rather than somewhere where compromising things could be overseen or overheard, hence the smaller hotel._ _

__They walked side by side in a way that was rapidly becoming habit, almost touching but not quite. So when Jaime's hand came in contact with her thigh or hers grazed the sleeve of his coat each movement didn't feel anything but accidental. The swirling gnaw of desire was almost painful in it's growing insistence, her sensibilities battling against the need to have him closer._ _

__Though it was Brienne's decision to finally close the gap, grabbing Jaime's hand and even briefly threading her fingers through his, all in an attempt to stop a repetition of the slow brush of skin that left her shivering._ _

__He looked down at their hands, contentment winning out over surprise. "So one little word and you're happy to be seen in public with me?"_ _

__It was as easy as any of his jokes, but under the surface there was a quiet need for clarification, Jaime squeezing her hand before she pulled away. "I'm not saying we should ..." she gestured at the neatly entwined couples around them, "But I don't want to hide this."_ _

__"Is that why you've brought us to a honeymooners hotel?"_ _

__She looked at the four storey structure in front of them and back to Jaime, his grin splitting his face in unreserved amusement. "There was nothing in the information about that."_ _

__"Local knowledge trumps Google." Quicker than she could counter Jaime was nuzzling along her cheekbone, hair a silky glide over her temple, his mouth hovering at her ear. "Brienne", he breathed, his tongue recklessly tasting barely touched places, "However honourable your intentions are, you don't have to marry me to get me back into bed."_ _

__"Good", she pushed him back, hoping the quick embrace hadn't noticeably affected her breathing. "Because my dad's been married so many times I now hate weddings."_ _

__"Well you're in luck", he manoeuvred her out of the way as a laughing bride, still in a giant meringue of a dress, tried to push through the hotel door. "You could always ..."_ _

__"I'm not doing anything in your house. Next time ..."_ _

__"Next time? The next time I'm planning on being here is for Tommen's sixteenth. In July."_ _

__Brienne nodded absently, folding her arms as she watched the bride vacate reception through the street level windows. She felt Jaime's smile settle over her, a warmth that brought more heat in it's wake. "What?"_ _

__"You've just assumed we're still going to be together in seven months."_ _

__Reflex made her apologise again, her insecurities rising when faced with his teasing. "Sorry."_ _

__"Don't be, seven months isn't all that long. Now if you'd said seven years then we'd have to talk."_ _

__"Years?" She asked, inwardly cursing her one word questions but he only looked at her enigmatically and disappeared into the hotel._ _

__

__It took Brienne three attempts to open the door to the room once a petite blonde maid had come across them in the empty hallway, exchanging half hearted whispered barbs while locked in each others eyes._ _

__"Does everyone around here know you?" she grumbled, finally breaking through the dark stained wood with a well placed shoulder charge._ _

__"Famous name. Infamous face."_ _

__"Trouble", Brienne summed up, stripping off her coat before going to close the curtains. They were too far up to be overlooked but even though she was becoming used to exposing her skin to his roaming hands and eyes the streaming sun never let that happen without a great deal of embarrassment._ _

__Jaime ignored her continued modesty, beckoning her closer. "If I'm trouble, what does that make you?"_ _

__A hypocrite Brienne thought, resigned to her fate as they crashed together. His lips moved against hers, gentle and guiding, loving and languid, like they really did have years to perfect it. The gentle affection of the kiss stole her breath, head spinning as if everything was new again._ _

__"Jaime", she whispered, the soft sound of his name in direct contrast to the groan he'd just issued. "I've missed you."_ _

__There was a murmur of acknowledgement, possibly even agreement as Jaime pulled her tighter, the liquid fire starting to blaze in his eyes echoing the slow burn in her bones. There was a moment where a struggle seemed likely, tension sweet and thick like honey in the air, before Brienne fisted a hand in designer pinstripes and matched him kiss for kiss._ _

__"Your damn eyes have been haunting me all week." The fingers stroking along her cheekbone moved to tangle in newly short strands of hair, tilting her head in order to wage a battle of experience against strength. Jaime could laugh and call her naive, innocent, but she didn't feel like that anymore. Not when it came to him. The love she knew was pure but the building desperation pushing them closer certainly wasn't. Brienne felt a rising want to forget about tomorrows and drown in green seas._ _

__"You're still in every ... single room of my apartment."_ _

__"That's because you can't get rid of me that easily."_ _

__"I don't think I want to."_ _

__To his obvious surprise Brienne started to suckle and nip her way into his mouth, reacquainting herself with the heady taste behind his lips. Jaime caught a sensitive spot, a laugh leading to a sigh becoming a moan, his kisses ghosting a feather light path across her cheek only to betray his hunger as he began to follow the curve of her neck. Her hands shivered and skimmed rolling muscles, shy but nimble, making light work of adding clothes to the growing pile on the floor._ _

__"Jaime?" He looked up at her through golden eyelashes, making her feel like there couldn't be another person alive who would seem so interested in the imperfections of her face. Jaime held her eyes, amusement shining through arousal, waiting for her to speak. "You can't stay can you? I don't mind but your family ...."_ _

__"My brother's running interference so I can stay as long as I want. As long as you want."_ _

__"Tomorrow." The word became a moan as Jaime fumbled one handed with the button of her jeans, dipping his fingers underneath. The soft caress of falling denim was a momentary touch though as the siren song of the bed became deafening._ _

__"Tomorrow". He encouraged her step by step into a familiar dance with a growing smile, "You don't know how much I wanted to see you."_ _

__"And seeing me naked ..."_ _

__"Never even crossed my mind for a second."_ _

__"Liar", Brienne retorted with a grunting peal of laughter, her knees landing against the mattress with a bang as they hit the soft surface together._ _

__"That's some ego you're getting", Jaime quipped, comfortable even though he was exposed and hardening beneath her, half a god but all hers, becoming preoccupied with trying to join her all freckles together. "I like rubbing off on you."_ _

__She rolled her eyes and he caught her mouth again, words whispering between the bruising clash of lips and tongues. "Don't misunderstand why I wanted to see you Brienne. Not that fucking you isn't always enjoyable but ..."_ _

__"I love you more."_ _

__Jaime shook his head but, if she was reading the look in his eyes correctly, he wasn't disagreeing. "You're such a girl sometimes."_ _

__"I'm not the one with hair products." She wondered what the turning point had been; when bickering with him had become as effortless as breathing, though as his tongue joined the search for new and interesting patterns in the freckles across her chest 'effortless' wouldn't have been the best way to describe the ragged sounds leaving her body._ _

__There was a flurry of wantonness running through her, the power of it rivalling the giddy swirling sensations of love, as Jaime fixed his mouth to an aching breast. Not for a single second closing his eyes or letting hers wander. He didn't need to tell her how aroused she was today, Brienne could feel it building between her legs into a delicious need. Though hearing Jaime voice his feelings had been more than she'd ever dared to dream, the words couldn't stop the fire under her skin, every buck of his hips providing tantalising levels of friction._ _

__"You were saying?"_ _

__His laughter and constant chatter no longer amazed Brienne, even when coherent thought seemed to be rapidly escaping her. Realising Jaime was trying to mess with her, despite the welcome loving sentiments flowing through his motions, purposely dragging things out when they were both too far gone for just hands and mouths._ _

__"Do you want me on my back?" Brienne asked breathlessly, snaking her hand between them to give his cock some much needed attention._ _

__A thumb grazed a nipple, his mouth hot on her neck, fingers dancing along her stomach muscles, lower and lower. "Just let me enjoy the view today", Jaime tried for a laugh, lewdly moaning as she shifted her thighs a little, gripping and guiding him into her. His shoulder provided leverage as a smooth roll of her hips left his cock throbbing alongside her own desire._ _

__It only took mere seconds to adjust, bodies already fully primed by quick words and heated touches, his hands moving to guide her into a punishing rhythm that suited them both. Brienne couldn't say the act itself felt different to before, but Jaime was looking at her in a way that seemed so raw, so open, that her eyes automatically flickered away to shield herself from the emotion._ _

__Sweat beaded along his chest, down her back, behind her knees as she pulled him as close as possible. The kisses were almost an afterthought but his hips met hers again and again, snapping faster and faster, pushing towards the pounding beat of her racing heart. She rode him like all the awkwardness had evaporated the moment his hand gripped down tight enough to bruise, the other moving between her legs to expertly flick and stroke until it felt like she was dangling on the precipice of rapture._ _

__"Brienne", he purred, melting her insides, making her think that years of fights and fucking and family might not be a bad idea after all. "Look at me."_ _

__Her eyes found his, tiny rings of emerald green around blown pupils and the build became excruciating. It had been a long time since Brienne had realised no one could ever make her feel beautiful, but his eyes spoke of things that were so much better._ _

__Trust and respect and want._ _

__Love._ _

__The climax hit in an intense shuddering wave that almost hurt, sapping her of strength as she violently clenched around him, her oversensitive skin prickling when Jaime lay her down with the ease of a man who knew exactly where to graze to elicit a handful of tiny satisfied noises. He stole a raw kiss, thrusts quickly growing erratic as her name fell past his lips like a term of endearment, emphasising his peak mere seconds later._ _

__As usual it took him longer to come back to his senses, her shoulder and chest acting as a temporary pillow, the comfortable press of skin soothing Brienne into contented slumbers._ _

__"Have I really tired you out already?"_ _

__She grumbled as a palm rubbed over her ribs, legs entangling a little more._ _

__"I assure you no one else staying here tonight will leave it at once."_ _

__"You don't need to prove yourself to me Jaime. I'm ..." fine wasn't the right word, she thought, satisfied sounding too cold. "Happy. And we didn't just get married."_ _

__"Give it a week and we will be living in sin."_ _

__"Sometimes."_ _

__"We'll see."_ _

__Brienne considered how much mocking was hiding behind his promises, wondering if there was a genuine chance Jaime was thinking living together might soon become an option that couldn't be refused. A life together. A family. But it was a conversation for a future night, the spectre of New Year's Eve looming closer._ _

__"Tomorrow night ..." Brienne began, not really knowing where she was heading._ _

__"Don't tell me your scared. What happened to the woman who stood up to Vargo Hoat?"_ _

__"How do you know that? You weren't even there."_ _

__"Your girls like to talk. And talk. I believe the word 'rescue' was used." She felt his smile press into her collarbone, "There's not a white horse hiding in your tiny apartment is there?"_ _

__"Don't be ridiculous."_ _

__"I could get you one."_ _

__Jaime was so earnest she had to laugh. "I don't think after that other guys would be offering horses."_ _

__"You forget there are no guys like me", his fingers were suddenly cool against the back of her neck, bringing her forehead down to his. "Just don't let them get into your head tomorrow, you're too slow to keep up with their games."_ _

__"Games?"_ _

__"You win or you die. Only not literally." An eager hand started to skitter again and Brienne moved to curl around him, trapping his arm in the process. She could feel the challenge rising through Jaime's warning, but sensing her unease opted instead to hold her close and let her doze._ _


	73. Seventy Three

Over a day later, after an eye opening tour of Casterly and a few comments about ending the year with a bang, Brienne stood with her hand poised over a lion's head knocker. Since Jaime's stories had jumped from bitter truth to exaggerated glory she was finding herself less and less surprised by the vastness of the Lannister fortune. Even discovering The Rock was around the same size as her high school barely raised an eyebrow.

However Brienne's nerves still swirled as she waited for the door to be opened, making her clench her hand written invite into a ball. But as Sansa's voice reminded her, it was probably better than doing something similar to the material of her dress.

Fortunately for Brienne it was a familiar smiling face that greeted her into the Lannister home, Myrcy giving off the aura of a real life Disney princess in pale gold. Brienne glanced past the teenager and into the house, realising that Sansa hadn't been joking about the magnitude of the party. Although it appeared she was one of the first guests to arrive.

"The invitation said nine ..." Brienne began as Myrcy stared up at her. 

"Which usually means ten", she explained without a note of sarcasm. "Although that does give me time to sort out whatever you did to your face."

Brienne flushed almost as red as the envelope in her hand, "My friend tried ... she left instructions."

"So am I allowed to be friendly as well and make sure you look presentable?"

"You won't be able to make me look ... pretty."

Myrcy shrugged, the small movement pure nonchalant elegance. An echo of something Brienne was becoming very familiar with. "Don't tell my mom but, I think nice might be more important than pretty."

"Thank you?"

Myrcy beamed, beckoning Brienne into a room off limits to guests while she retrieved a bottle of make up remover from her purse. "So", the smaller blonde manoeuvred her into a chair and liberally applied lotion to her skin, "How long have you known Uncle Jaime?"

"About six months."

"And how long have you been in love with him?"

"I'm ..." Brienne stuttered, tripping over her tongue in an attempt to bat away the gently probing question, her skin burning brighter. "I ..."

"It's ok. He's definitely an acquired taste", she giggled brightly, pulling out a set of brushes and boxes that were completely foreign to Brienne. "Doesn't mean we love him any less."

"... Sansa?" Brienne sighed as Mrycy dusted something over her eyelids, feeling the redhead's influence in the actions.

"She text me. Asked me to keep you from being thrown to the lions. I said I'd try ..."

"So this is where you disappeared off to." The melodic tones of Cersei Baratheon's voice twinkled through the now open door. Brienne swallowed hard, discreetly using Myrcy's hand mirror to get a good look at Jaime's sister without turning around.

"Myrcella where are your manners? Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

Myrcy sighed loudly. "Mom, this is Brienne Tarth. Brienne, this is my mom. Cersei Bara ... Lannister."

The chair hugged Brienne's thighs, refusing to let go, taking two or three attempts to pull herself to her feet. Offering a hand to the distinctly unimpressed woman, she was met with a frosty stare. Cersei did eventually return the professional gesture with a limp handshake, reminding Brienne of clients who had silently judged her as being unworthy of their time or respect.

"I've ... heard so much about you."

"It appears I'm at a disadvantage then, since I know nothing about you." She felt Cersei's eyes on her face, the same emerald colour as Jaime's, and Brienne searched for something that wasn't too personal to tell the other woman.

"I'm ..."

"Are you one of my daughter's teachers?"

"I'm in marketing."

"How thrilling. And for someone so young as well", Cersei sounded anything but thrilled, deliberately placing her hand on Brienne's arm. "Who made your dress? Such an unusual material, I don't think I've seen it before."

Brienne blinked. She hadn't been paying attention to labels when Sansa had been throwing clothes at her.

"You ought to talk with whoever it was." Cersei gave her a quick once over, sweeping her eyes over the simple design of the dark blue dress. She lingered on the long sleeves, the skirts kissing Brienne's knees and her impractical but flat shoes. "They seem to have made you a dress that looks like you bought it in a store."

"Oh", Brienne looked carefully between Myrcy and her mother, knowing freckles were beginning to retreat behind their usual shield of shame, wishing she had the ability to laugh the embarrassment away. "I didn't think..."

Cersei's smile was lacking any kind of warmth, stopping before it even reached the end of her lips. "You should always check the dress code before you come to an event like this, you wouldn't want to be embarrassed."

"Mom!"

"Just five minutes more and then you need to be upstairs with your brothers." Cersei lowered her voice to a stage whisper as her daughter led her out, "Look after her tonight. I wouldn't want a girl of her, stature, to be unable to handle our best Dornish vintage."

Brienne listened to Myrcy's gentle promises and placations, only letting out a held breath when the pair fell out of earshot. Her heart thundered almost loud enough to be heard, though she couldn't help but think the worst might still be to come. Keeping a Jaime-Myrcy-Tyrion shaped buffer between her and Cersei for the rest of the night would have been gladly welcomed but, despite her many physical and mental flaws, cowardice wasn't something Brienne wanted to lay claim to. She guessed she may have already suffered far worse things in life than simply running the gauntlet with certain members of the Lannister family.

"Just who the hell have you got hidden in here that has your mother so amused?" Jaime's voice grew louder with each word, full of concerned laughter as if not quite sure whether to be a parent or a joker. "It better not be Trystane Martell again."

"That was like twice!"

"Which is why the open door rule came about in the first place."

Brienne felt like she was intruding into a shared moment she had no part in, though as a movement caught her eye she couldn't help but follow it. Widening blue met sharp, surprised green, the entitled mirth she'd seen in his sister happily absent. 

"Brienne."

There was another blush threatening, a defensive parry simply from the way he'd uttered her name. Her eyes dropped as his became transfixed by a gently curved neckline that indicated more than meagre cleavage.

Myrcy coughed from his side, breaking the descending pressure as she checked over her handiwork. "I think ... I should be upstairs. Brienne if you need to retouch anything later, just let me know."

"Am I hearing things or did she just insinuate we can't spend five minutes alone without making out?" Jaime stepped into the room as the teenager left, not bothering to knock the door shut as he stalked across the space.

"Well ... you are getting older."

Her attempt at a joke was met with raised eyebrows and a dangerously slow smile, Jaime already in the process of volleying back her shot. "If only your mouth was half as good at finding comebacks as it is at sucking my cock, you might actually be a worthy opponent."

Brienne let out a small shocked exhale, thinking she would never get used to Jaime bringing up things that should stay behind closed doors. "Do you ever shut up?"

"Maybe one day. Until then it'll just have to be when my tongue is otherwise occupied." Jaime winked, holding out a hand as he came back to the man she knew existed under the snark and crude comments. "Come on, there's someone here I want you to meet."

Brienne shook it away, not wanting to draw attention to their togetherness  after her brief encounter with Cersei. If his sister shared Jaime's possessive streak then they would only be asking for trouble.

"You look ... interesting", Jaime almost complimented, ushering her through the house and towards the party. 

"That's what your sister thought too."

Brienne glanced across to see his mouth twisted with something close to worry. "It's too easy for her to rely on words as weapons."

"Words are only wind Jaime."

"Is that why you're trembling then? Or is that just the effect I have on you?"

"I'm not trembling."

"You are." They were still in the corridor as he stopped her with an arm around her waist, bringing his face close enough that Brienne could have counted his eyelashes if she felt the need. "I won't let them hurt you."

Although well aware of their surroundings, she still ran tender fingers softly through his hair, "You know you can't promise that. Besides, I don't need to be taken care of."

Jaime's reply was cut off as she quickly stepped away from him, feeling a larger than life presence hovering in the hallway. As he glanced across at the woman who'd walked into their intimate moment a sheepish grin spread across his face. "Aunt Genna, this is Brienne."

 

Brienne pressed her back protectively against the wall, nursing a glass of whatever was being circulated. Jaime had been a comforting presence by her side for over an hour, introductions getting closer to flattery until he'd been pulled away by his brother. Genna stayed with her after Jaime disappeared, genuinely interested even if each question dug a little deeper than the last. Brienne was grateful for the brief respite provided by a giggly Myrcy, as she was getting closer to confessing the true depths of her feelings, but the teenager had friends to see and more drinks to steal so Brienne had been left alone with just over half an hour left before midnight.

She didn't miss Tywin Lannister entering the room, flanked by his children, and Brienne realised from his quick double take that he knew exactly who she was. Or at least who she worked for. It felt like her Stark Industries ID had been tattooed on her forehead as she held the Lannister patriarch's attention for a few seconds, a beacon of her loyalty to a woman he must have considered competition. Though as the feeling passed as quickly as it had begun, Brienne focused on reading the spines of books that were stacked around the room in a clear show of power. The titles were a journey through Europe; France, Italy, Greece though not one looked like it had been recently read. They were perfect, but at a distance. A lot like the woman she hadn't realised was now standing beside her.

"If the whispers are correct then you're part of the reason Jaime has stayed in the North for so long", Cersei stared at the half full glass in Brienne's large hand as she deftly swapped her empty one with a waiter. "I suppose I should be thanking you for returning him in one piece. But I won't."

Brienne blinked, failing to find the words to respond. Even after Jaime's promises of belonging she never once prevented him from returning home. He would always have personal and professional obligations in Casterly and the love she felt only encouraged him to see those through.

"Do you really not speak child?" Cersei's voice was like silk, the alcohol not yet slurring her speech. "Or is that part of the attraction? You get to feel like a woman and he gets to fuck without hearing you moo in his ear."

"I ..." Brienne's mind started to race alongside her heart; his fingers inside her, her mouth around him, cries and grunts becoming a building chorus of ecstasy. She burned alive as yesterday's memories pushed towards overload, Jaime's words an echo _love, love, love _, making her unable to even look in the direction of his sister, his former lover.__

__Cersei took another long drink and smirked at her companion's fevered appearance. "You think I didn't know? You poor naive girl, I know him better than he knows himself. The North may have provided him with new", she checked Brienne's face, "Opportunities but Jaime is still a Lannister at heart. And his heart belongs to us."_ _

__"Jaime's heart ... my heart ... are not pieces in a game."_ _

__Cersei arched an eyebrow, "You were a piece on the board from the second your dalliance with my brother began. I thought whores understood consequences."_ _

__"There you are", Tyrion arrived, pushing through the people shielding the two women from the rest of the room, before Brienne had a chance to defend herself. "There's been an altercation downstairs and Joffrey is in need of a parent."_ _

__"So why aren't you telling this to his father? You've always preferred our dear brother."_ _

__Brienne could feel two pairs of eyes searching her face for a reaction and she tried not to flinch. Let them know, she thought, let them realise the secret has been shared and we're working through it._ _

__"Because", Tyrion smiled a beat later, "He's asking for his mother."_ _

__Cersei sighed, draining her glass before turning on a stiletto heel and heading for the stairs._ _

__"Well it looks like you're still standing", Tyrion looked up at Brienne, considering her face in a manner not too dissimilar to his brother. "I'd apologise for her but I don't think it would make a difference."_ _

__"Has she always been like that?" Brienne was trying to fit the passionate young woman in Jaime's stories with the bitter blonde fury she'd just spoken to. "I mean, Jaime ..."_ _

__"Is often unreliable. You should have heard what he said about you."_ _

__"I'd rather not."_ _

__Tyrion laughed cryptically, "Look after  him in The Vale Brienne. There are things going on here that he's not going to like and when that happens Jaime's going to need you."_ _

__"I'll do my best."_ _

__"I have a feeling that'll be more than good enough", Tyrion smiled, "When you do find my brother make sure to bring him outside. As a child his favourite part of these festivities always was the fireworks, though tonight he may be more interested in a midnight kiss."_ _

She hugged herself protectively, "We can't ... not in front of everyone."

Tyrion shook his head slowly, "Do you really think you're fooling anyone? Jaime has never brought a woman to a family event before, and we both know that's not because he couldn't get a date." He glanced up at Brienne as she tried to blend into the wallpaper, "Only a blind man would have failed to notice how you've been looking at each other." 

__"We ... I was trying to be discrete", she replied, catching the flash of emerald from the other side of the room. Jaime was deep in conversation with an impressively wealthy looking woman, though judging by her shrewd features and dark hair she wasn't a Lannister._ _

__"I doubt that word is in my dear brother's vocabulary, but strange as it may seem I think you might be good together."_ _

__Though Cersei's words had been sharpened with the aim of cutting deep, Brienne had dealt with people like that before which meant all her usual reactions were unfortunately perfected years ago. So it fell to Tyrion, much like his brother, to provide a level of acceptance that was almost uncomfortable._ _

__"I'm already looking forward to seeing you two at many more of these events in the future", the little man finished pointedly._ _

__"If I'm invited", Brienne responded firmly as an opening door caused the novel sensation of soft skirts brushing against bare skin. "And ... as long as I don't have to wear dresses to ... any of them."_ _

__Tyrion laughed, though the sound was not meant to wound. "He said you were stubborn."_ _

__She tried for a smile as Jaime's gaze started to flicker between her and the older woman, who Brienne assumed was Olenna Tyrell due to Margaery's sudden appearance, thinking 'stubborn' was the nicest adjective Tyrion could have repeated. "He says a lot of things", she murmured, a reply to one brother aimed at the other, accidentally ambiguous._ _

__Jaime nodded once, his eyes hers for a second at a time, silently speaking across the crowded space._ _

__"You should be all settled playing house in The Vale by the time I get a chance to visit", Tyrion bid her goodbye gently, taking one of her hands between both of his, "So until next time Brienne."_ _

__"Thank you."_ _

__He smiled again, clapping his hands to begin the exodus of guests into the night air. Brienne paused, people grumbling and moving around her like the parting of a sea, simply waiting until she saw Jaime excuse himself and escape the pull of money to money._ _

__"Olenna Tyrell?" She asked as means of greeting, the back of his hand knocking  against hers as they followed the rich and powerful into the grounds._ _

__"They're expanding again. But you would think they've declared war by the way certain board members are reacting."_ _

__"Why would they even care? You don't own a secret chain of hotels do you?"_ _

__"It's the family name Brienne, they're concerned about legacy and new money and things I'm not important enough to be told." Jaime exhaled a breath that was almost a laugh, "But that would be nice, avoid the changing seasons in Tahiti and the Seychelles, a private beach, you in a bikini ..."_ _

__"If you think persuading me into a dress was hard, you don't even want to be considering a bikini", Brienne retorted softly, her voice barely audible under the rising noise of the countdown. Parts of her old life were fading with every tick of the clock, Hyle, Renly, blind dates and quiet nights, only to be replaced by best friends and a requited love she'd almost given up on._ _

__Jaime's arm wrapped around her waist, his words a gentle growl. "Maybe I could persuade you out of one, but you're supposed to kiss me now."_ _

__Lips barely touched before she started at a sudden loud bang, turning to see the crude outline of a gold dragon momentarily light up the sky before exploding into a thousand tiny stars. Brienne could understand why as children Jaime and Tyrion must have fought off sleep to watch the creatures battle their way into the new year, wolves chasing lions chasing dragons._ _

__Watching as the fireworks burst into noisy spectrums of colour, she began to realise there were no guarantees the next twelve months would be smooth sailing. Working for Baelish may provide bigger conflicts than either of them had initially thought, the Lannisters were plotting and planning and she still had to introduce her much older boyfriend to her dad. In that moment Brienne wasn't sure which of those three worried her the most._ _

__She expected there'd be days where they would fight and hate and not talk for hours, days where nothing would seem as important as staying in bed and days that would be so uneventful they would fade from memory into obscurity. But such was life, Brienne thought with a smile, and above everything she wanted to live._ _

__Jaime stroked her scared cheek, damage that would never heal unlike her tender heart that tried so hard not to break after Renly left. Jaime tapped, bringing her back to the moment, back to him, eyes clouded with emotion. "What's going on in there?"_ _

__"Us", Brienne whispered, the gap between them starting to disappear breath by breath. "I think ... we might really make this work."_ _

__"Isn't that what we're already doing?" Jaime was so close, lips and hands and breath causing her skin to boil despite the cold._ _

__"You know what I mean", she blushed despite the fact that modesty seemed to be finally leaving her._ _

__"I do."_ _

__Brienne kissed him then, one perfect moment shared between two people who were less than perfect. She felt Jaime smile against her skin as she pulled away, only hoping that blue could swim with as much love as green._ _

__Together, Brienne thought as she let Jaime take her hand, they would face the future together._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Points to anyone who spotted the Firefly reference in here :)
> 
> Have I said thank you enough yet? Well I'll say it again, for those of you still reading at this point; thank you!!!!!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is always greatly received


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